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^ 17 



The Forests of Worcester County 



THE RESULTS OF A FOREST SURVEY OF THE 
FIFTY-NINE TOWNS IN THE COUNTY 



AND A 



STUDY OF THEIR LUMBER INDUSTRY 



By H. O. COOK, M.F., Under the Direction of 
F. W. RANE, State Forester 



Massachusetts, State Forester, 1M6 



BOSTON 

WRIGHT & POTTER PRINTING CO., STATE PRINTERS 

32 DERNE STREET 

1917 









Approved by 
The Supervisor of Administration. 



D. of Do 
JAN 30 1917 






\ 



FOREWORD. 



We are fortunate in being able to present herewith the forest 
survey of the towns composing Worcester County. This work 
has been in progress for the past three years, under the super- 
vision of my assistant, Mr. H. O. Cook, M.F., who has had the 
assistance of several young men from various forestry schools 
who have worked largely during the summer vacations. 

It is believed that these data will prove very valuable for 
present and future use in our State forestry development, and 
our purpose is ultimately to complete the work in the other 
counties of Massachusetts in the same way. 

F. W. RANE, 

Slate Forester. 
Nov. 2, 1916. 



CONTENTS. 



Explanation of survey 
Explanation of data: ■ — 

Size classes, . 

Forest types, 

Open land types, 
Worcester County, 
Town forest conditions : — 

Ashburnham, 

Athol, . 

Auburn, 

Barre, . 

Berlin, . 

Blackstone, 

Bolton, . 

Boylston, 

Brookfield, 

Charlton, 

Clinton, 

Dana, . 

Douglas, 

Dudley, 

Fitchburg, 

Gardner, 

Grafton, 

Hardwick, 

Harvard, 

Holden, 

Hopedale, 

Hubbardston 

Lancaster, 

Leicester, 

Leominster, 

Lunenburg, 

Mendon, 

Milford, 

Millbury, 

New Braintree, 

North Brookfield, 



10 
12 
14 
14 

20 
21 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
31 
32 
33 
34 
36 
37 
39 
40 
41 
42 
44 
45 
46 
47 
48 
49 
50 
51 
52 
53 
54 



Town forest conditions — concluded 
Northborough, 
Northbridge, 
Oakham, 
Oxford, 
Paxton, 
Petersham, 
PhiUipston, 
Princeton, 
Rutland, 
Shrewsbmy, 
Southborough, 
Southbridge, 
Spencer, 
SterHng, 
Sturbridge, 
Sutton, 
Templeton, 
Upton, . 
Uxbridge, 
Warren, 
Webster, 
West Boylston, 
West Brookfield, 
Westborough, 
Westminster, 
Winchendon, 
Worcester, . 



PAGE 

55 
56 
58 
59 
60 
61 
62 
63 
65 
66 
67 
68 
69 
70 
72 
72 
74 
75 
76 
77 
78 
79 
80 
82 
83 
84 
86 



THE FORESTS OF WORCESTER COUNTY. 



Explanation of Survey. 

One of the first essentials in carrying on a business of any 
extent is an inventory showing the stock on hand. Our raw 
material in the forestry business in this State is our forest land. 
We have never had any thorough investigation which would 
answer the simplest question in this connection, — namely, how 
much of the area of this State is under forest cover and how 
much is tillage and pasture. About eleven years ago this de- 
partment, in co-operation with the Massachusetts Bureau of 
Statistics, sent maps to the various town assessors and had 
them locate on these maps the forest land in their towns. Due 
partially to ignorance of conditions on the part of the assessors 
and partly to the impossibility of locating from memory all 
forest land on a small map, we found that the results of this 
investigation were very crude and unsatisfactory. A few 
towns were checked up, and the results showed that this 
investigation underran the actual forest area by 25 to 50 per 
cent. For this reason we have rejected these data as trust- 
worthy bases of comparison, believing that the estimate of well- 
informed people is more reliable. An investigation which shows 
simply the forest area as compared with the open land, while 
most interesting, has very little practical value. Such a survey 
to be of use must in addition show the amount of various 
species which compose the forest, and also the various ages and 
size classes. It is only with such information that we can make 
any estimate as to the present and future lumber and cordwood 
supply in this State. 

It was with these conditions in mind that three years ago we 
decided to make a forest survey of Worcester County. This is 
not only the largest county in area, but is the most important 



8 

from the forestry standpoint. Its woodlands produce the 
largest amount, and its wood-using industries consume the 
largest amount of native lumber of any county in the. State. 

The forest surveying was done in the summer months by 
students of various forest schools. In this way we were able to 
get trained men at small expense. The work has taken more 
time than we anticipated, and was not completely finished until 
this summer. In the meantime, however, a similar survey of 
Plymouth County has been undertaken and will be completed 
this year. 

Method of Survey. 

Investigations similar to this have been attempted in other 
States, and the usual method of work has been for the men to 
traverse all the roads in each town and to sketch in the forest 
and open land on a base map provided for the purpose. We 
started our work on the same plan, but after completing a 
couple of towns changed our method. We found that most of 
the open farming land lies along the roads, and that the bulk 
of the forest lies back of this open country. For this reason, 
while it is possible to sketch in boundaries of the forest land 
from the roadside, it is impossible to obtain any adequate idea 
of the composition, size and density of the woodland without 
actually traversing it. Such a system, therefore, did not give 
us the information that we most desired. 

The method of field work finally used is an adaptation of a 
large-scale timber cruising system which we felt gave a maxi- 
mum amount of information at a minimum cost. Each man 
worked one town at a time, running lines one-half mile apart 
by compass and pace from one boundary to the other. In a 
specially ruled notebook, on a scale of 1 inch to 1,000 feet, the 
length of each type as shown by the pace was recorded. Panto- 
graph enlargements of government topographical sheets on a 
scale of 1,000 feet to an inch were used as a base map. The 
data on the notebooks were therefore easily transferred to the 
map. One of these maps is shown as a cut of the town of 
Bolton. (In the Plymouth County survey photographic en- 
largements of the topographic sheets on a scale of 2,000 feet to 
the inch were found satisfactory, and were more convenient to 
handle.) 



By means of symbols the species making up the type, by 
numbers the size, and by per cents, the density of stocking, are 
shown; for example, the following note on the line data, 
A E C, 2-3, 80, 700, means this: a mixed stand of pine, oak 
and chestnut, principally pine, of a size midway between 
Classes 2 and 3, 80 per cent, being fully stocked and extending 
over 700 feet of line run. In addition, there were special 
symbols representing chestnut bark disease, fire hazard, etc., if 
there chanced to be any present. The number of feet in each 
type, as compared with the total number of feet run in the 
town, is then proportioned into the total area of the town and 
the area of each type in acres calculated. 

The data obtained in this way are very complete, and in 
working these up for purposes of publication it was necessary, 
for the sake of brevity, to exclude some, or to combine several 
different types and size classes. The complete data are all on 
file, however, and can be used whenever it appears to be worth 
while. 

Reports. 

In addition to the survey each examiner was asked to w^ite 
a report on each town, covering his observations of the forest, 
topographical and soil conditions, lumbering and woodworking 
industries, timber prices, the names of principal landowners, 
forest-fire conditions, chestnut blight, gypsy-moth infestations, 
and everything which might be of interest to this department. 
These reports and the forest maps are on file in the office, and 
can be referred to whenever any forestry problem comes up in 
the town. 

In order to limit the size of this bulletin it was decided that 
only those sections of the reports dealing with the forest con- 
ditions and wood-using industries should be published. 

The following is a list of men who made these forest surveys 
and reports, with the towns in which they worked : — 

David L. Dorward, . Brookfield, North Brookfield, Warren, West 

Brookfield. 

Harold Fay, . . . Auburn^ Barre, Dana, Hardwick, Millbury, 

New Braintree, Oakham, Oxford, Worces- 
ter. 



10 

Cedric H. Guise, . . Dudley, Grafton, Holden, Leominster, North- 
bridge, Paxton, Princeton, Rutland, Shrews- 
bury, Spencer, Sterling, Sutton, West 
Boylston. 

Walter G. Iles, . . Athol, Phillipston, Royalston, Templeton. 

0. D. Ingalls, . . Winchendon. 

Herbert J. Miles, . Ashburnham, Gardner, Harvard, Westmin- 
ster. 

James Morris, . . Charlton, Hubbardston, Leicester, Petersham, 

Southbridge, Sturbridge. 

J. R. Simmons, . . Boylston, Berlin, Bolton, CUnton, Douglas, 

Fitchburg, Lancaster, Lunenburg, North- 
borough, Southborough, Uxbridge, Web- 
ster, Westborough. 

Lenthall Wtman, . . Blackstone, Hopedale, Mendon, Milford, 

Upton. 

Explanation of Data. 
Size Classes. 

It is a difficult matter to divide the woodland into size 
classes and draw a hard-and-fast line between them. For 
purposes of classification we have recognized four classes, Class 
1 being the largest and Class 4 the smallest. In the field 
intermediate classes were recognized, but in the final classifica- 
tion these have been included with one of the four principal 
classes. The illustrations are a help in recognizing these size 
classes. 

Class 4. — This smallest class includes both seedling and 
sprout growth from one to twelve years in age, from 1 to 20 
feet in height, and less than 2 inches in diameter. This class 
has no merchantable value, not even as cordwood. 

Class 3. — This class includes growth of from twelve to thirty 
years of age, from 20 to 35 feet in height, and from 2 to 6 
inches breast high diameter. With cordwood species such as 
oak and maple this type has a low merchantable value as a 
producer of small, low-grade fuel wood. There is no saw 
timber in this type, so that saw species, such as pine and 
chestnut, in this size class can be said to have no merchantable 
value. 

Class 2. — This size includes trees from thirty to forty years 
of age, from 30 to 50 feet in height, and from 6 to 12 inches in 



11 




12 

diameter. A stand of this class will produce first quality cord- 
wood, and the chestnut and pine will make saw logs and cross 
ties. 

Class 1 . — This class includes all trees larger and older than 
the preceding sizes, and a stand in this class will be of saw-log 
size and of undoubted merchantable value. 

Forest Types. 

Although foresters are not agreed as to the exact definition of 
a forest type, it is usually understood to apply to the associa- 
tion of certain species which under certain site conditions of a 
general character are found growing together. In the wood- 
lands of Worcester County, with their extraordinary abundance 
of species, it is possible to construct a great variety of types, 
and it is very difficult to combine these many types into group 
types of a number that can be contained in a printed table. 
We have divided the forest land of Worcester County into seven 
group types which we will define individually. 

Chestnut. — This type is a simple one, consisting as it does of 
stands which contain at least 75 per cent, chestnut. The 
remaining 25 per cent, is usually oak, although there may be 
some pine or maple. When we speak of maple in this bulletin 
we refer to the red or soft maple, and do not refer to the hard 
or sugar maple unless it is specifically mentioned. Where pine 
or oak make up more than 20 or 30 per cent, of the stand, it 
is put in the pine and hardwoods or the chestnut and oak class. 

Oak. — This type is described by its name, and, like the 
chestnut, a stand in this type is at least 75 per cent. oak. 
There is often a little chestnut or scattered pines in mixture, 
and in the younger age classes gray birch and maple; but unless 
they form more than 20 to 30 per cent, of the stand they are 
not considered. A smaller percentage of pine is taken into 
consideration than any other species, and if the stand is one- 
fourth pine this percentage is enough to throw a stand of this 
type into the pine and hardwoods type. 

Chestnut and Oak. — This type is described by the name, 
although there are almost sure to be a few other trees in the 
mixture, such as maple, hickory and an occasional pine. 
Chestnut, being the most vigorous grower, usually excels the 



13 

oak in size and often in number. This is especially true in the 
older age classes, so that we recognize this type as a chestnut 
rather than as an oak type. 

White Pine. — This type is more likely to be a pure stand 
than any of the others, although we put into this type any 
stand which is more than 60 per cent. pine. The hardwoods 
in mixture are usually birch, maple and oak. The pine, being 
the more vigorous grower, rapidly overtops the hardwoods, and 
before the oldest age class is reached has killed most of them, 
forming a pure stand. 

Pine and Hardwoods. — Inasmuch as stands with more than 
60 per cent, of pine have been put into the pure pine type it 
follows that the stands in this mixed type have, as a rule, rather 
more hardwood growth than coniferous. On the average the 
proportion of hardwood growth is 2 to 1. The hardwoods 
usually found in mixture are gray birch, maple, oak and 
chestnut. The first three are more liable to be found in 
Classes 4 and 3 and the last three in Classes 2 and 1. In the 
northern part of the county there is considerable sugar maple, 
beech and white birch which will be found in this mixed type, 
especially in the older classes superseding oak and chestnut. 

Gray Birch and Maple. — This type is a sort of miscellaneous 
affair into which we put the tag ends. We at first called it 
mixed hardwoods, but, finding that in 9 cases out of 10 the 
type consisted of a mixture of gray birch, maple and an 
occasional oak, decided to call it by that title. Gray birch 
exceeds the maple in the small classes and the maple exceeds 
the birch in the older classes. In the northern part of the 
county Classes 1 and 2 are likely to be largely sugar maple and 
white birch. This is the type which comes up on old run-out 
pastures. In swamps maple rather rules over birch, but not to 
so great an extent as might be supposed. 

Conifers Other than White Pine. — This type usually includes 
both hemlock and pitch pine, not that there is any association 
between these species, but the aggregate amount of their area 
was too small to be separately classified. In a town where this 
type was almost entirely one of these species it is so named. 
In the north part of the county there is a good deal of spruce 
and tamarack in the swamps, which are included in this type. 



14 



Oyen Land Types. 

These types are pretty well described by their names, so that 
no discussion is necessary, except in one or two instances. 

It is difficult to distinguish between open and brush pasture, 
as nearly all pasture has some brush growing in it. The 
directions to the examiners, however, were to include in brush 
pasture such lands as were so fully grown up with blueberry 
bushes, hardhack, sweet fern, etc., as to be about three-fourths 
covered with such brush growth. When pasture was stocking 
with a young growth of gray birch, maple, etc., it was included 
in the birch and maple, size 4, class, and for this reason the 
area of brush pasture may seem to be smaller than it should be. 

In small towns it is a difficult matter to separate the area 
described as business and residential from the purely farming 
land, and in many very small communities no attempt was 
made to do so. Business and residential represent the area 
occupied by the village or urban section of the township. 

Water areas are obtained from the topographical maps, and 
are not very trustworthy in many cases. The topographical 
survey was made forty years ago, and since then new dams 
have been built in brooks and rivers and new areas flooded, 
while, on the other hand, old dams which existed at that time 
have broken down and the mill ponds have disappeared. On 
the whole, we find that there is more water area than these 
maps show. 

Worcester County. 
Worcester County, the largest in the State, is located in the 
central part and extends from the New Hampshire line to the 
Connecticut and Rhode Island lines. The city of Worcester 
fittingly calls itself the heart of the Commonwealth. Three 
lines of railroad traverse it from east to west, — the Fitchburg 
Division of the Boston & Maine in the northern part, the 
Central Massachusetts Division of the Boston & Maine through 
the central part, and the Boston & Albany in the southern 
section. These roads are cross connected by several small 
branch lines of the three main lines mentioned above, so that 
no part of the county is more than 10 miles from the railroad. 



15 



Like all of Massachusetts, the principal business is manu- 
facturing, although there is a considerable farming and dairying 
business carried on in the county. The manufacturing in- 
dustries are quite varied, the principal ones being machinery, 



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MAP OF VMORCeSTtR COUNTY- 



wire goods, textiles, — both cotton and wool, — paper, furniture 
and shoes. Worcester, the second city of the State, is the 
county seat, while Fitchburg, one of the larger communities of 
the State, contains the county offices for the northern district. 



16 



Topography. 

Worcester County is on the southern extension of those high- 
lands which in New Hampshire form the divide between the 
Connecticut and Merrimack rivers. In Massachusetts all the 
streams on the west side of the divide drain into the Connecti- 
cut, while on the east side of the divide the streams in the 
north section drain into the Merrimack, and those in the 
southern section drain directly into the ocean. A line drawn 
from Ashburnham in the northeast corner of the county to 
Sturbridge in the southwest will about divide these two water- 
sheds. The principal streams draining the western watershed 
are the Miller's, Ware, Swift and Quaboag rivers, while on the 
eastern side are the Nashua, which empties into the Merrimack, 
the Quinebaug, a tributary of the Nashua, the headwaters of 
the Assabet and Sudbury rivers, both of which are tributary 
to the Merrimack, and the Blackstone. 

The general character of the topography is that of gently 
rounded hills with rather narrow valleys between. Occasionally 
these hills take the form of distinct ridges running north and 
south. This is especially the case in the southern part of the 
county, but on the whole there is little regular arrangement. 
Elevations are highest at the north end of the county, where 
they average between 1,000 and 1,200 feet above sea level, and 
decrease gradually towards the south, where they are between 
700 and 800 feet in altitude. The most prominent hill is 
Mount Wachusett in Princeton and Westminster, which, with 
its elevation of 2,100 feet, dominates the entire hill country, 
and is the highest hill in Massachusetts east of the Connecticut 
River. 

Soil 
In general the soil is a light sandy loam containing many 
stones. The top soil is underlaid by coarse gravel or hardpan. 
The better quality of soil is found on the hill slopes, while the 
valley bottoms are, as a rule, very sandy or gravelly. Low 
swamps and meadow lands have a black mucky soil, but these 
are of local occurrence. Although swampy areas are numerous 



17 

they are of small extent, and the county may be said to be well 
drained. There are swamps of considerable area in the southern 
part of Brookfield and in the southern part of Auburn. The 
Nashua River valley in Lancaster has an extensive clay loam 
area distinct from anything else in the county. This area con- 
tains deposits of fuller's earth, a clay used in the scouring of 
woolen cloth. The soil is generally deep even on the hills, and 
outcropping ledges of the underlying rock are not common. 
This underlying rock is of igneous origin, either granite, schist 
or gneiss. About Milford the granite has a pinkish tinge and 
is called "Milford pink granite," and is much prized in some 
kinds of stone work, while in Fitchburg there are quarries of 
common gray granite cut chiefly into edgestones and block 
pavement. 

Worcester County soil and topography would be favorable 
for agricultural development were it not for the great amount 
of stones and bowlders which make it impossible to work the 
soil with economy. For this reason much of the area must 
remain absolute forest soil. The soil on the whole is more 
favorable to conifers than to hardwood growth, although in 
low, moist situations and on north slopes deciduous growth 
thrives excellently. 

Forest Conditions. 
Worcester County is on the boundary line between the 
southern limit of what is called the northern forest type — 
which contains, as hardwoods, beech, white and yellow birch 
and rock maple, and as conifers, white pine, hemlock, fir and 
spruce — and the northern edge of the southern forest region, 
whose type of trees includes chestnut, oaks, hickory, gray birch, 
red maple, white pine, pitch pine and hemlock. Lying as it 
does in this intermediate zone between these two forest regions its 
forest flora is very extensive. As explained before, it has been 
necessary to group these various species into types, and we give 
herewith a table showing the area of these forest types and non- 
forest types for the whole county. It will be seen from this 
table that the forest area covers more than one-half of the 
county, or 57 per cent. It will be noted with regret that the 



18 



largest single type is that of the comparatively worthless maple 
and gray birch, but on the other hand two-thirds of the forest 
area is made up of types which contain saw species. One- 
quarter of this forest area is doomed to serious damage on 
account of the chestnut bark disease. " Seven-tenths of the 



FOREST S7'/. 
















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DIAGRAM SMOVtING PROPORTION OF LAND T^PeS FOUND IN 
V10RC.ESTLR COUNTY. 



forest area is practically below merchantable size, even for 
cordwood. This is not to be taken, however, as a discouraging 
feature, as naturally stands which have reached a merchantable 
size are soon cut down, and the proportion of the larger sizes 
must always be low. 



19 



Wood-usin g Industries . 
Worcester County is an important district from the local 
lumbering standpoint, for of the annual lumber cut in the State, 
amounting to 400,000,000 feet, it produces at least a third, and 
of the annual consumption of locally grown lumber used in 
wood-using industries, amounting to at least 200,000,000 feet, 
more than one-half is used in this county. The three chief 
centers for wood-using industries of the State are located in 
Worcester County; they are Gardner, Winchendon and Athol. 
The industries using the greatest amount of home-grown 
timber are those producing boxes, pails, toys, tubs, chairs and 
match blocks. As the industries of these towns and others are 
explained in detail in the individual town reports, we will not 
go further into the matter in this chapter. 



Total Land Types. 

[59 towns.] 





Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per 


Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut, .... 


9,059 


17,965 


21,150 


9,981 


58,155 


10 


- 


Oak 


14,037 


16,993 


6,682 


2,181 


39,893 


7 


- 


Chestnut and oak, . 


29,049 


33,290 


16,388 


6,019 


84,746 


15 


- 


White pine. 


13,048 


28,907 


29,259 


21,584 


92,798 


16 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, 


26,086 


43,320 


12,918 


5,454 


87,778 


15 


- 


Maple and birch. 


93,184 


70,256 


17,610 


5,575 


186.625 


33 


- 


Softwoods other than white 
pine. 


5,022 


10,073 


6,882 


2,992 


24,969 


4 


- 


Total, .... 


189,485 


220,804 


110,889 


53,786 


574,964 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


33 


39 


19 


9 


214,450 


100 


57 


NON- 

Tillage and hay, 


FOREST T 


yPES. 






21 


Open pasture, 










101,974 


- 


10 


Brush pasture, 










50,109 


- 


5 


Alder and brush swamp. 










7,461 


- 


1 


Business, residential, etc., 










25,475 


- 


3 


Water, .... 










27,.341 


- 


3 


Total area of county. 


1,001,774 


- 


100 



20 



ASHBURNHAM, 

Pine is fairly abundant in Ashburnham in scattered stands, 
especially in the south part of the township, and there is con- 
siderable reproduction. The greater part of the woodlands is 
composed of swamp or moisture-liking species, such as spruce, 
larch, red maple, birch (gray, white and yellow), red oak, poplar 
and beech. Red maple and beech are particularly abundant, 
and there are large areas of spruce, larch and hemlock swamp. 
The mixed hardwood type is composed of red maple, birches, 
red oak, poplar, beech and a little chestnut, although most of 
the chestnut has been cut off for the chair factories in Gardner, 
Winchendon and Ashburnham. 

The general size of the timber is in the 3-2 class, the rate of 
growth is fairly rapid, and the timber is in fair health. On the 
northwest of Stodge Meadow Pond, and also about 1 mile west 
from Ashburnham Center, are two areas where red pine is 
abundant in mixture with white pine. Here the red pine is 
growing about as rapidly as the white pine, and is cleaning itself 
fairly well, especially where shaded at the side. Reproduction 
in old pastures is plentiful where white pine stands from which 
seed has come are near by. 

The principal sawmill owners are L. Lashaway, Jr., W. E. 
Jefts, Warren Marble, Charles Ptussell and W. E. Peckens. 
L. Lashaway cuts pine, spruce and hemlock, about 1,000,000 
board feet per year. The other owners saw irregularly, but 
probably each saws from 500,000 to 1,000,000 board feet per 
year. In addition there are many portable mill operators who 
come in from other towns. 

The W. F. Whitney Company, in South Ashburnham, has 
two mills, using mostly southern oak and a little birch, beech 
and maple from New Hampshire and Vermont. 

The Curtis chair shop at Ashburnham uses per year 
120,000 board feet of chestnut and 132,000 of birch, beech 
and maple, practically all of which comes from outside the 
State. 

Wright's crutch factory turns out 3,500 crutches per month, 
and uses the following: — 



21 



Rock maple, H inch, 100 M board feet per annum. 
Rock maple, 11 inch, 6 to 8 M board feet per annum. 
Birch, Ij inch, 10 M board feet per annum. 
Rosewood, 300 board feet per annum. 
Cherry, 5 to 6 M board feet per annum. 







Land Types. 












Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut, .... 


91 


- 


97 


- 


188 


1 


- 


Oak 


195 


273 


234 


143 


845 


4 


- 


Chestnut and oak, . 


58 


39 


169 


150 


416 


2 


- 


White pine, ... 


318 


937 


1,201 


3,368 


5,824 


31 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, ' 

N 

Maple and gray birch. 


726 
2,564 


779 
2,012 


189 
356 


336 

785 


2,030 
5,717 


11 
31 


- 


Softwoods other than white 


617 


1,525 


941 


643 


3,726 


20 


_ 


pine. 2 
















Total 


4,569 


5,585 


3,187 


5,425 


18,746 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


24 


30 


17 


29 


3,173 


100 


71 


NON- 

Tillage and hay, 


FOREST T 


TPES. 




12 


Open pasture. 








2,745 


- 


10 


Brush pasture. 








513 


- 


2 


Business, residential, etc., 








324 


- 


1 


Water, .... 








1,123 


- 


4 


Total area of town, . 


26,624 


- 


100 



1 Hardwoods are mostly gray birch and maple with some white birch, poplar and beech. 

2 Swamp spruce with a little larch and hemlock. Very little pitch pine. 



Athol. 
The northern portion of the town is a natural white pine 
region. White pine is the principal growth, with chestnut, oak, 
birch and maple coming next in order. The largest stand of 
white pine noted was possibly 150 acres in area, while the 
average stand was about 30 acres. In some places red pine was 
found in mixture with the white pine, and for the same period 
of years the red pine seems to have outgrown the white pine 



22 

in volume. The southern part of the town is more of a hard- 
woods region. Here the main growth is chestnut and oak, with 
white pine, birch and maple coming next in order named. 
Occasionally small stands of pure hemlock were found. The 
hardwoods, chestnut and oak, were found in both pure and 
mixed stands. In the mixed hardwoods, suppressed pine was 
found but very rarely. Small areas of gray birch and white 
pine were found in mixture. 

Athol has one sawmill and several wood-using industries. 
A sawmill situated in Athol and owned by Fred Patenaude cuts 
8,000 board feet per day of white pine for local use. 

Athol Center has several wood-using industries, as follows: 
(1) Diamond Match Company, which consumed 19,000,000 
board feet of white pine in 1912 and 13,000,000 in 1913; this 
w^as used for match blocks; 3,000,000 came from Maine, 
1,000,000 from Connecticut, while the balance was divided 
between Massachusetts and New Hampshire. (2) N. D. Cass 
Company use 1,500,000 of white pine, chestnut and hemlock in 
the manufacture of wooden toys. (3) Stratton Bros & Co., 
manufacturers of boxes and interior house finishings, use 
500,000 board feet of white pine and southern yellow pine; 
the yellow pine amounting to 80,000 board feet. (4) A. J. 
Raymond consumes 2,000,000 board feet of white and hard 
pine and a small proportion of cypress in the manufacture of 
sash, doors and blinds; this comes from California, Oregon, 
Michigan, Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. (5) 
A. T. Tyler Company, product, sash and blinds, use 1,000,000 
to 1,500,000 board feet of white pine, coming from New York 
and Michigan, and about 100,000 feet of sugar pine, coming 
from California. (6) L. Morse & Sons manufacture furniture 
from white pine, oak and chestnut received from local parties. 
(7) H. M. Peckham supplies local demands with rails, posts and 
balustrades. 



23 







Land 


1 ypes. 












Approximate 


Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut 


296 


255 


497 


128 


1,176 


7 


- 


Oak 


336 


242 


222 


- 


800 


5 


- 


Chestnut and oak, 


988 


967 


537 


134 


2,626 


16 


- 


White pine, 


370 


672 


1,048 


766 


2,856 


18 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, ' 


1,182 


1,538 


1,303 


262 


4,285 


26 


- 


Maple and gray birch, 


2,553 


1,350 


322 


74 


4,299 


26 


- 


Softwoods other than white 


20 


148 


168 


20 


356 


2 


_ 


pine. 2 
















Total, .... 


5,745 


5,172 


4,097 


1,384 


16,398 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


35 


32 


25 


8 


2,298 


100 


75 


NON- 

Tillage and hay. 


FOREST 1 


YPES. 






10 


Open pasture. 










1,794 


- 


8 


Brush pasture. 










• 262 


- 


1 


Business, residential, etc., 










894 


- 


4 


Water, .... 










370 


- 


2 


Total area of town, . 


22,016 


- 


100 



1 Hardwoods are largely birch and maple, with some oak and chestnut in the larger sizes. 
' Mostly hemlock and spruce. 

Auburn. 

Chestnut is the chief tree of the town, the chestnut and oak 
type seeming to predominate. Most of it is still unmerchant- 
able save for cordwood, and a good deal has been cut over 
within the last ten years. Clear cutting is the rule, with a little 
poor selection cutting which leaves thin, scraggly stands. 
There are a few small stands of merchantable pine, notably 
Prospect Park, just south of Stoneville. There is a good stand 
of small merchantable chestnut and some pine about a mile 
southeast of the center of the town. There is quite a little 
maple swamp, and in places small stands of pitch pine. 

No sawmills nor woodworking industries w^ere found in the 
town. A mill belonging to Geo. L. Jacques of Worcester had 
recently cut off the southeast slope of Prospect Hill, where 
there was a stand of small chestnut, oak and some pine. 



24 



Land Types. 





Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


I 


Forest. 


Town. 


FoBEST Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut 


220 


140 


180 


70 


610 


14 


- 


Oak 


60 


50 


40 


20 


170 


4 


- 


Chestnut and oak, 


600 


360 


60 


30 


1,050 


24 


- 


White pine, 


- 


160 


80 


40 


280 


6 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, ' 


130 


340 


40 


- 


510 


12 


- 


Maple and gray birch, 


780 


710 


100 


50 


1,640 


37 


- 


Softwoods other than white 


90 


_ 


70 


_ 


160 


3 


_ 


pine. 2 
















Total 


1,880 


1,760 


570 


210 


4,420 


- 


- 


Percentage, 


43 


40 


13 


4 


2,960 


100 


49 


NON- 

Tillage and hay. 


FOREST Types. 






33 


Open pasture, 








820 


- 


9 


Brush pasture. 








390 


- 


4 


Water 








460 


- 


5 


Total area of town, . 


9,050 


- 


100 



1 Hardwoods are mostly gray birch and poplar. 

2 Mostly pitch pine with some cedar. 



Barre. 

Although this town has been extensively logged, there is still 
a large amount of growing pine left, amounting to 50 per cent, 
of the forest area. There is very little, however, of commercial 
size. Commercially speaking, chestnut follows pine in im- 
portance, but occurs with far less frequency. Red maple and 
birch form one-fifth of the forest area. 

Most of the lumber cut in Barre has been shipped outside. 
There is a sash and blind factory at Barre Plains belonging to 
Mr. T. E. Rich, and a planing mill owned by H. A. Knight. 
James A. Rice is the leading operator. 



25 







Land Types. 












Approximate 


Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut, .... 


- 


67 


393 


193 


653 


4 


- 


Oak 


- 


121 


48 


48 


217 


1 


- 


Chestnut and oak, . 


490 


858 


417 


42 


1,807 


12 


- 


White pine, 


459 


2,213 


1,415 


744 


4,831 


32 




Hardwoods and white pine, ' 


889 


3,059 


314 


48 


4,310 


29 


- 


Maple and gray birch, 


2,080 


883 


151 


12 


3,126 


21 


- 


Softwoods other than white 
■pine. 


- 


24 


79 


85 


188 


1 


- 


Total, .... 


3,918 


7,225 


2,817 


1,172 


15,132 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


26 


48 


18 


8 


6,922 


100 


52 


NON- 

Tillage and hay, . 


FOREST T 


TPES. 






24 


Open pasture, 










6,402 


- 


22 


Brush pasture. 










393 


- 


1 


Business, residential, etc.. 










248 




1 


Water 










151 




Total area of town, . 


29,248 


- 


100 



^ Hardwoods are gray birch, maple and poplar in smaller sizes, giving way to chestnut and 
oak in larger sizes. 



Berlin. 

The proportion of timbered land to the total area of the 
town is about 50 per cent. The predominating type is oak and 
pine, usually in mixed stands. Chestnut exists in pure stands 
and in mixed stands with oak and pine. Hickory is more 
common than in the average town, but there are no absolutely 
pure stands. 

Edmund W. Wheeler of South Berlin operates a sawmill 
cutting about 250 M board feet per year. He uses mostly pine, 
chestnut and oak. W. A. Wheeler of Berlin cuts chestnut poles 
and ties. 



26 







Land Types. 












Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




i 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut, .... 


70 


170 


140 


280 


660 


16 


- 


Oak 


140 


820 


260 


70 


1,290 


31 


- 


Chestnut and oak, 


70 


170 


130 


70 


440 


10 


- 


White pine. 


30 


70 


160 


160 


420 


10 


- 


White pine and hardwoods, ' 


40 


320 


110 


60 


530 


13 


- 


Maple and gray birch, 


230 


500 


30 


40 


800 


19 


- 


Softwoods other than white 


_ 


30 


30 


10 


70 


1 


- 


pine. 2 
















Total 


580 


2,080 


860 


690 


4,210 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


14 


49 


20 


17 


2,820 


100 


50 


NON- 

Tillage and hay, 


FOREST Types. 




33 


Open pasture. 






560 


- 


7 


Brush pasture. 






740 


- 


9 


Water, .... 






110 


- 


1 










Total area of town, . 


8,440 


- 


100 



' Hardwoods are principally birch, maple and oak. 
' Pitch pine and hemlock. 



Blackstone. 

The wooded section of Blackstone is in poor condition as 
regards thriftiness and percentage of useful species, on account 
of the severe fires which have swept through. There is almost 
no timber left which is merchantable, and very little which will 
grade above a straight Class 3. Pine and softwoods are 
lacking, even in reproduction, partly because of their greater 
susceptibility to fire, which makes for a higher percentage of 
hardwoods wherever it gets in. There are scattered small lots 
of pine in the northern part of the town and on Candlewood 
Hill, but the greater part of the land is covered with a sprout 
growth of oaks, gray birch, chestnut and red maple. 

There were no portable mills working in the town at the 
time the survey was made. Moreover, there is only one 
permanent mill. This mill is located in East Blackstone, being 



27 



run by water power from the Mill River. Mr. A. S. Kelley is 
the owner. This mill is a small one, the amount cut varying, 
but seldom exceeding 50 M board feet annually. The stock is 
mostly chestnut, with some pine. 







Land Types. 












Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


X 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut, .... 


118 


243 


76 


- 


437 


7 


- 


Oak 


186 


274 


15 


22 


497 


8 


- 


Chestnut and oak, 


63 


871 


278 


54 


1,266 


19 


- 


White pine. 


55 


27 


34 


102 


218 


3 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, ' 


307 


452 


157 


41 


957 


14 


- 


Maple and gray birch. 


985 


572 


181 


51 


1,789 


27 


- 


Softwoods other than white 


446 


536 


296 


166 


1,444 


22 


_ 


pine. 2 
















Total 


2,160 


2,975 


1,037 


436 


6,608 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


33 


45 


15 


7 


2,054 


100 


64 


NON- 

Tillage and hay, . 


FOREST T 


YPES. 




20 


Open pasture. 








363 


- 


3 


Brush pasture, 








1,184 


- 


11 


Water, .... 








197 


- 


2 


Total area of town, . 


10,406 


- 


100 



1 Hardwoods consist of maple, chestnut and oak. 

2 Largely pitch pine with some cedar. 



Bolton. 
The general condition of the forest is good, especially in the 
pine, oak and hardwood types. There is a good layer of 
humus. The principal species are pine and chestnut and oak 
in clear and mixed stands. Ash and hickory are common in the 
mixture and also as roadside trees. Suppressed pine is common 
in the chestnut and oak types. The Century Mill, W. J. 
Webber, proprietor, cuts chestnut and pine to the extent of 
about 75 M board feet per year. This is the only lumber mill 
in Bolton, and it is idle most of the time. 



28 



La7id Types. 





Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


I 


Forest. 


Town. 


FoBBST Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut 


128 


527 


383 


55 


1,C93 


17 


- 


Oak 


150 


419 


155 


153 


877 


13 


- 


Chestnut and oak, . 


424 


887 


255 


230 


1,796 


28 


- 


White pine, 


20 


424 


166 


361 


971 


15 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, ' 


100 


349 


50 


72 


671 


9 


- 


Maple and gray birch, 


132 


780 


164 


- 


1,076 


16 


- 


Softwoods other than white 


_ 


112 


35 


9 


156 


2 


- 


pine. 2 
















Total 


954 


3,498 


1,208 


880 


6,540 


- 




Percentage, . 


14 


53 


19 


14 


4,373 


100 


51 


NON- 

Tillage and hay, . 


FOREST Types. 






34 


Open pasture. 








902 


- 


7 


Brush pasture, 








945 


- 


7 


yfatei 








30 


- 


1 


Total area of town, . 






12,790 


- 


100 



1 Principally maple and birch. 

2 Pitch pine. 



BOYLSTON. 

The proportion of wooded land to the total area of the town 
is about 50 per cent. The chief types are chestnut, oak, pine 
and soft maple, in clear and mixed stands. In general the 
condition is healthy. Practically all of the pine plantations 
around the shores of the reservoir show a healthy growth. 

The Sterling Lumber Company, represented by Walker, 
Wilding & Davis, a Worcester firm, transact most of the 
lumber business of this town, and cut about 200 M feet per 
year. 

George F. Flagg, Boylston Center, does some lumbering and 
cuts about 200 M feet per year. 



29 



Land Types. 





Approximate 


Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3' 


2 


I 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut, .... 


100 


240 


110 


220 


670 


10 


- 


Oak 


430 


610 


60 


50 


1,150 


18 


- 


Chestnut and oak, . 


350 


1,330 


240 


90 


2,010 


31 


- 


White pine. 


40 


310 


100 


40 


490 


7 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, ' 




300 


40 


110 


450 


7 


- 


Maple and gray birch. 


390 


1,340 


20 


10 


1,760 


26 


- 


Softwoods other than white 


_ 


40 


30 


- 


70 


1 


- 


pine. 2 
















Total 


1,310 


4,170 


600 


520 


6,600 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


20 


63 


9 


8 


2,450 


100 


52 


NON- 

Tillage and hay. 


FOREST Types. 






19 


Open pasture. 








420 


- 


3 


Brush pasture. 








600 


- 


5 


Water 








2,580 


- 


21 


Total area of town, . 


12,650 


- 


100 



1 Hardwoods are mostly maple, with some chestnut, oak and gray birch. 

2 Pitch pine. 



Brookfield. 
The v/oodlands are practically a mixture of all kinds of hard- 
woods. The stands are all second growth in origin. The 
woods were cut many years ago when the railroads were using 
wood for fuel. These grew up and in many cases were cut 
again within the last twenty or twenty-five years. Chestnut 
is not abundant. There are a few pure stands, but as a rule it 
occurs chiefly as a part of a mixture. This mixture is mostly 
maple, gray birch, oak and chestnut, with an occasional cherry. 
The stands are very irregular, the type constantly changing so 
that the term "mixed hardwoods" is the best one to apply. 
White pine is an important factor in nearly all the stands. In 
many cases the type could be changed to a pure pine type with 
good stocking if the inferior species were eliminated. 



30 



There are no sawmills in the town, but the cutting is done 
chiefly by William F. Fullam and H. E. Cummings of North 
Brookfield. 

Land Types. 





Approximate Size Classes. | 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Ttpes. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut 


460 


600 


410 


30 


1,500 


14 


- 


Oak 


- 




100 


- 


100 


1 


- 


Chestnut and oak, . 


120 


20 


80 


350 


570 


5 


- 


White pine, 


80 


270 


100 


70 


620 


5 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, ^ 


500 


1,200 


1,650 


110 


3,460 


33 


- 


Maple and gray birch, 


470 


1,160 


2,300 


420 


4,350 


42 


- 


Total 


1,630 


3,250 


4,640 


980 


10,500 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


16 


31 


44 


9 


2,810 


100 


59 


NON- 

Tillage and hay, 


FOREST Types. 






14 


Open pasture. 








1,650 


- 


9 


Brush pasture. 








480 


- 


3 


Brush swamp. 








1,110 


- 


6 


Business, residential, etc., 








140 


- 


1 


Water 








1,010 


- 


6 


Total area of town, . 






17,700 


- 


100 



> Hardwoods are largely maple and birch, with some chestnut and oak. 



Charlton. 

The maple and birch type predominates, mostly in small 
sizes. Following this type in order of importance come the 
chestnut and oak type, the hardwoods and white pine type, 
and the white pine type. Few pure stands of chestnut exist. 
The same holds true of oak. The only type running into the 
Class 1 size that was noted was that of the white pine. 

There are two combined sawmills and box shops capable of 
cutting from 300 to 500 M board feet per annum. That of 
Marcus Carpenter is located in Charlton City, while the 
Putnam Brothers' mill is situated in the eastern part of the 



31 



town about l| miles from Richardson's Corner. Both obtain 
their logs locally, and sell their products either in Charlton or 
in Worcester. 







Land T^jpes. 












Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut, .... 


30 


120 


160 


- 


310 


2 


- 


Oak 


50 


180 


20 


- 


250 


2 


- 


Chestnut and oak, . 


1,270 


1,650 


110 


- 


3,030 


22 


- 


White pine. 


150 


800 


1,000 


80 


2,030 


15 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine. 


890 


1,660 


160 


- 


2,710 


20 


- 


Maple and birch, 
Hemlock, .... 


• 3,700 


1,720 
40 


30 
10 


- 


5,450 
50 


39 


- 


Total 


6,090 


6,170 


1,490 


80 


13,830 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


44 


44 


11 


1 


7,240 


100 


49 


NON- 

Tillage and hay. 


FOREST Types. 




26 


Open pasture, 






3,130 


- 


11 


Brush pasture. 






2,520 


- 


9 


Alder swamp. 






410 


- 


1 


Business, residential, etc., 






150 


- 


1 


Water, .... 






850 


- 


3 


Total area of town, . 


- 


- 


100 



Clinton. 

The proportion of forest to cleared land is about 40 per cent. 
The principal types are pine, oak and chestnut in mixed stands, 
very little being of timber size. The entire northeast corner is 
sprout land, sizes 3 and 4. Merchantable timber is found in 
very small isolated wood lots. The general condition is only 
fair. 

W. A. Fuller cuts pine, chestnut, oak and pitch pine; amount 
per year about 1,400 M. 

W. L. Bancroft cuts pine, chestnut and oak; amount per 
year a little less than 1,000,000 feet. 



32 



Phillip Philburn cuts 250 M per year, — pine 200 M, chest- 
nut 50 M, and 1,500 cords of wood. 

Bennett Alder cuts cordwood only, — chestnut, oak and pine 
mostly, in Clinton, Boylston and Bolton. 

Land Types. 





Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


I 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut 


- 


120 


30 


90 


240 


14 


- 


Oak 


340 


380 


60 


20 


800 


47 


- 


Chestnut and oak, 


- 


280 


60 


60 


400 


23 


- 


White pine, 


20 


40 


20 


10 


90 


5 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, ' 


- 


10 


- 


- 


10 


1 


- 


Maple and gray birch, 


40 


50 


- 


- 


90 


5 


- 


Pitch pine. 


- 


- 


90 


- 


90 


5 


- 


Total 


400 


880 


260 


180 


1,720 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


23 


51 


15 


11 


650 


100 


37 


NON- 

Tillage and hay. 


FOREST Types. 






14 


Open pasture. 








80 


- 


2 


Brush pastxire. 
Business, residential, etc.. 








30 

1,280 


- 


28 


Water 








860 


- 


19 


Total area of town, . 


4,620 


- 


100 



1 Hardwood is principally gray birch. 



Dana. 

Over two-thirds of the town is in forest, and white pine types 
predominate. There is a considerable amount of pine of 
commercial size, but it is being rapidly logged at this time. 
Oak is widespread, but usually in mixed stands. 

The chief industry at North Dana is a hat factory, but wood- 
using industries occupy a considerable place. There is a box 
factory in North Dana belonging to Grover and Gee, and also 
one at Soapstone now operated by a Mr. Donnell. Principal 
wood-lot operators are C. E. Gee, Cleveland Grover, R. N. 
Doubleday and Otis Hager. The F. M. West Box Company 
of Springfield have large holdings of pine timber in Dana. 



33 







Land 


Types. 












Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


I 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut, .... 


70 


110 


230 


240 


650 


8 


- 


Oak, 


90 


130 


110 


10 


340 


4 


- 


Chestnut and oak, . 


190 


140 


10 


- 


340 


4 


- 


White pine. 


220 


930 


1,000 


590 


2,740 


32 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, ' 


990 


1,250 


100 


250 


2,590 


31 


- 


Maple and gray birch. 


340 


420 


200 


130 


1,090 


13 


- 


Softwoods other than white 


100 


480 


110 


20 


710 


8 


_ 


pine. ' 
















Total 


2,000 


3,460 


1,760 


1,240 


8,460 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


24 


41 


21 


14 


1,710 


100 


67 


NON- 

Tillage and hay, 


FOREST T 


YPES. 






14 


Open pasture. 










1,110 


- 


9 


Brush pasture. 










880 


- 


7 


Business, residential, etc.. 
Water, .... 










170 
210 


- 


1 

2 


Total area of town, . 


12,540 


- 


100 



I Hardwoods consist of gray birch, maple and oaks. 
' About one-half pitch pine and one-half hemlock. 



Douglas. 

The town is about 85 per cent, wooded. This wooded area 
contains mostly a dense healthy growth of white pine, pitch 
pine, oak, chestnut and hardwoods, varying in size from 4 to 1. 
There is a considerable amount of sw^amp in town containing 
some hemlock and cedar. 

There are two sawmills in the town; that of Mr. W. R. 
Wallis saws about 500 M feet of pine and chestnut per year, 
while that of Charles Church, running about half the time, 
cuts about 200 M board feet of chestnut and pine per year. 
Mr. W. R. Wallis also owns a box factory which, in connection 
with his mill, uses about 1,000,000 feet of pine, oak, chestnut, 
spruce and cedar. Mr. R. E. Dudley operates a portable mill 
during the fall and winter months. He cuts about 1,000,000 
feet per year of pine, oak and chestnut. 



34 







Land 


Types. 












Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


t 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut 


- 


82 


287 


211 


580 


3 


- 


Oak 


369 


199 


- 


- 


568 


3 


- 


Chestnut and oak, 


4,262 


1,739 


1,505 


826 


8,332 


40 


- 


White pine, 


64 


867 


867 


1,064 


2,862 


13 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, ' 


1,306 


2,810 


896 


357 


5,369 


25 


- 


Mixed hardwoods,! . 


1,458 


1,399 


240 


100 


3,197 


15 


- 


Softwoods other than white 


59 


- 


35 


47 


141 


1 


_ 


pine. 2 
















Total, .... 


7,618 


7,096 


3,830 


2,605 


21,049 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


36 


34 


18 


12 


1,768 


100 


88 


NON- 

Tillage and hay, 


FOREST 1 


YPES. 






7 


Open pasture, 










322 


- 


1 


Brush pasture. 










76 




2 


Business, residential, etc.. 










334 




Water 










580 


- 


2 


Total area of town, . 


24,129 


- 


100 



1 Hardwoods are maple, oak, chestnut and gray birch. 
- Cedar and hemlock. 



Dudley. 

In Dudley the timber is confined to several distinct areas. 
Along the western boundary and in for about three-quarters of 
a mile it forms an almost solid belt. From this line over to the 
lake region the town is given over almost entirely to agriculture, 
and outside of small patches of mixed hardwoods of un- 
merchantable size very little hardwood occurs. A longitudinal 
strip, comprising the eastern quarter of the town, is covered 
with some excellent stands of chestnut. 

The prevailing types are chestnut, chestnut and oak, mixed 
hardwoods and birch, while in some places pine occurs, usually 
in combination with one of the above-named types. In no 
place was found a stand which could be classified as large 
merchantable. The chestnut along the western and eastern 
parts runs close to Class 2, but it will be some time before the 



35 



bulk will reach this size. The majority of the best trees now 
run in a large 3 to a small 2 class. The chestnut stands in the 
eastern part of the town contain trees of splendid quality, and 
provided the blight does not come in too severely these will be 
quite valuable for saw logs and poles ten or fifteen years hence. 

Several areas of very large extent occur which have nothing 
but a growth of young chestnut and oak sprouts. These 
sprouts are generally infected with the bark disease, and from 
the present indications will amount to very little. Around the 
ponds in the east, and particularly in the southeast, the best 
timber occurs. 

There are no sawmills or woodworking industries in Dudley. 
Portable sawmills have worked there recently, but have now 
moved elsewhere, evidently from lack of suitable material to 
operate upon. 

The paper mill located at West Dudley uses only rags and 
old paper, and is in no way connected with the wood pulp 
industry. 

Land Types. 





Approximate 


Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut 


170 


200 


310 


110 


790 


14 


- 


Oak, 


380 


360 


10 


- 


760 


13 


- 


Chestnut and oak, . 


470 


620 


190 


- 


1,280 


23 


- 


White pine, 


- 


- 


30 


30 


60 


1 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, i 


80 


210 


30 


30 


350 


6 


- 


Maple and gray birch, 


1,510 


700 


180 


- 


2,390 


42 


,- 


Softwoods other than white 




30 


_ 


_ 


30 


1 


- 


pine. 2 
















Total 


2,610 


2,120 


750 


170 


5,650 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


46 


38 


13 


3 


5,770 


100 


40 


NON- 

Tillage and hay, . 


FOREST Types. 




40 


Open pasture. 






1.010 


I 


7 


Brush pasture. 






1,390 


- 


10 


Water 






450 


- 


3 


Total area of town, . 


14,270 


1 


100 



1 Hardwoods are red maple and gray birch. 

2 White cedar. 



36 



FiTCHBURG. 

About 50 per cent, of the town is made up of wood and 
sprout land. The principal types are white pine, pitch pine, 
oak and chestnut, with hemlock, maple, poplar, white and gray- 
birch, beech, ash and other hardwoods. Clear stands are 
usually of pine, oak, chestnut and maple. Mixed stands of 
hardwood contain red maple in abundance, and a considerable 
amount of hard maple on the hills. The general condition of 
the wood growth is very good. There is not very much waste 
land in the town. 

Fitchburg is not a large consumer of native lumber, but there 
are a few box manufacturers who take native pine and chestnut. 
Most of the lumber used in building operations and builder's 
finish comes from outside the State. The Crocker & Burbank 
Company, paper manufacturers, use considerable lumber, 
spruce and hard and soft pine. They occasionally buy wood 
lots which they operate themselves. The Parkhill Manu- 
facturing Company use pine and hemlock for cloth boards, and 
operate their own wood lots. Messrs. P. R. Eaton and I. P. 
Lawrence also operate locally. 



Box Makers. 
0. S. Cook & Sons. 



C. A. Priest Lumber Company. 
Haldie Nickerson. 



Webber Lumber Company. 

S. G. Gushing & Sons. 

Chas. A. Priest Lumber Company. 



Webber Lumber Company. 
H. A. Lawrence Company. 
P. R. Eaton. 



Lumber Dealers. 

E. E. Watson. 
Wiley & Foss. 

Lawrence & Klein Lumber Com- 
pany. 



Cordwood Dealers. 
C. H. Greene. 1 Union Coal Company. 

Wood Novelties. 
Mossman Manufacturing Company. 



37 



Land Types. 





Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut 


40 


190 


430 


50 


710 


8 


- 


Oak 


70 


140 


- 


- 


210 


2 


- 


Chestnut and oak, . 


130 


420 


310 


- 


860 


10 


- 


White pine, 


80 


890 


980 


560 


2,510 


29 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, ' 


100 


450 


260 


480 


1,290 


15 


- 


Maple and gray birch. 


670 


1,830 


230 


130 


2.860 


33 


- 


Softwoods other than white 


_ 


80 


220 


20 


320 


3 


_ 


pine. 2 
















Total 


1,090 


4,000 


2,430 


1,240 


8,760 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


12 


46 


28 


14 


4,770 


100 


48 


NON- 

Tillage and hay, 


FOREST Types. 






26 


Open pasture. 








890 


- 


5 


Brush pasture. 








560 


- 


3 


Business, residential, etc.. 








3,030 


- 


17 


Water 








230 


- 


1 


Total area of town, . 




. 


18,240 


- 


100 



1 Hardwoods are red maple and birch. 

2 About one-third pitch pine and two-thirds hemlock. 



Gardner. 
No extensive areas of woodland occur. There is a con- 
siderable amount of forest scattered here and there in groups 
and separated by large logged areas, swamps and brushy 
pasture. The northern part of the town is more forested than 
the southern part. Much good white pine is found and a 
considerable amount of maple, beech and birch. The pine is 
mixed with maple, beech, birch, poplar and cherry rather than 
with chestnut and oaks, as it commonly is in the southern part 
of Worcester County. Both red and sugar maple are more 
plentiful here than in the southern part of the county. Ex- 
tensive areas of swamp land bearing red and black spruce, 
larch and hemlock occur. These swamps contain a young 
growth scarcely large enough for box boards. 



38 

Gardner uses probably more lumber than any other town in 
the State outside of Boston in manufacturing industries,, and 
the chief products are chairs and baby carriages. Naturally the 
bulk of the lumber used are hardwoods, and the leading species 
are birch, oak, chestnut, maple and beech. Considerable 
quantities of cheap pine and spruce are used for crating pur- 
poses. 

Only about 20 per cent, of the lumber used in the industry is 
cut in this State, although the bulk of it comes within the 
limits of New England. Inasmuch as the lumber is cut up into 
small pieces, the chair manufacturers can utilize a rather low 
grade of hardwood lumber, Classes 1, 2 and 3 common. The 
largest concern in Gardner is the Heywood Bros. & Wakefield 
Company. This concern has mills also at Wakefield, Mass., 
and Chicago, 111. When running to capacity it employs 1,700 
hands and consumes 20,000,000 feet per year. The other 
chair-making concerns are much smaller and use from 2,000,000 
to 5,000,000 feet per year. The following is a list of these 
manufacturers of chairs : — 



S. Bent & Brothers. 

Conant, Ball & Co. 

P. Derby & Co. 

John A. Dunn Company. 

Greenwood Associates. 

Brown Brothers Company. 

Pineo Manufacturing Company. 



Kelly Brothers. 
Howe Spalding. 
Nichols & Stone. 
L. B. Ramsdell. 
S. K. Pierce & Son. 
A. & H. Knowlton. 



In addition to the above manufacturers of chairs, the Central 
Oil Stove Company run a small sawmill at their plant at which 
they cut up cheap pine and spruce for crating shooks. L. A. 
Wright has a stationary mill in which they do custom sawing 
and planing, handling pine largely. Timothy E. Sheary manu- 
factures boxes and carries on a general lumber business. E. 
Osgood & Sons and L. H. Kendall are the chief dealers in 
cord wood. 



39 



Land Types. 





Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut and oak, 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


White pine, 


441 


64 


947 


173 


1,625 


19 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, • 


1,010 


237 


275 


179 


1,701 


20 


- 


Mixed hardwoods, i . 


2,756 


787 


281 


141 


3,965 


46 


- 


Spruce, larch and hemlock. 


582 


83 


588 


64 


1,317 


• 15 


- 


Total 


4,789 


1,171 


2,091 


557 


8,808 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


56 


14 


24 


6 


1,913 


100 


59 


NON- 

Tillage and hay. 


FOREST T 


TPES. 






13 


Open pasture, 










627 


- 


4 


Brush pasture. 










1,509 


- 


10 


Business, residential, etc., 










1,663 


- 


11 


Water 










460 


- 


3 


Total area of town, . 


14,780 


- 


100 



1 Smaller sized hardwoods are mostly gray birch; larger sized are maple, beech, chestnut and 



oak. 



Grafton. 

The greater part of this town has been cleared for farming 
and pasture land. Timber land is relatively scarce, but where 
it does occur it is in excellent condition. Chestnut is the 
leading species, followed closely by oak and red maple. White 
pine is scarce. On some of the old fields and farms reproduction 
of white and pitch pine is rapidly taking possession. Numerous 
small areas of gray birch are found scattered throughout the 
entire town. A few excellent stands occur. Just east of the 
Country Club is a stand of chestnut of Class 2 with an 85 
per cent, stocking. Some of the trees will run to Class 1. The 
bulk of the timber lies in the eastern quarter of the town in 
scattered wood lots of from 5 to 50 acres. This ranges from 
Class 1 to Class 3, the larger part being in Class 2. 

Grafton has no permanent sawmills or woodworking in- 
dustries. 



40 







Land Types. 












Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut, .... 


199 


149 


336 


653 


1,337 


25 


- 


Oak 


105 


149 


118 


12 


384 


7 


- 


Chestnut and oak, 
White pine. 


690 


503 
12 


174 


87 


1,454 
12 


28 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, ^ 


155 


131 


44 


- 


330 


6 


- 


Maple and gray birch. 


945 


696 


62 


- 


1,703 


32 


- 


Pitch pine, 


- 


31 


SO 


- 


81 


2 


- 


Total, . . . ". 


2,094 


1,671 


784 


752 


5,301 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


40 


31 


15 


14 


5,966 


100 


35 


NON- 

Tillage and hay. 


FOREST Types. 




40 


Open pasture. 






2,020 


- 


14 


Brush pasture. 






1,264 


- 


S 


Business, residential, etc.. 






261 


- 


2 


Water 






118 


- 


1 


Total area of town, . 








14,930 


- 


100 



' Mostly gray birch with a little white pine. 



Hardwick. 

Commercially speaking, chestnut is the most distinctive tree 
in the town of Hardwick, and there is an unusua amount of 
commercial size present. White pine follows closely on chest- 
nut, but it runs rather smaller. The western part of the town 
is the most extensively wooded, but a considerable area in this 
section was burned over in a large fire some years ago, so that 
the woodland of better quality will be found in the eastern and 
central parts. 

There are no wood-using industries in this town, unless the 
paper mill at Wheelwright can be called such. The wood pulp 
used in this mill, however, all comes from mills in Maine and 
New Hampshire. A Mr. Spooner on the Greenwich road has a 
water mill which apparently is seldom used. A Mr. Howard on 
the Gilbertville road has a water mill which is still in use. 
Formerly he operated and sawed timber from his own lands, 



41 



but his work now is largely confined to custom sawing of logs 
brought in. Chestnut is the chief product, and is put into 
dimension lumber for local building purposes. 







Land 


Types. 












Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


I 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut, .... 


180 


630 


620 


970 


2,400 


17 


- 


Oak 


220 


170 


20 


- 


410 


3 


- 


Chestnut and oak, . 


230 


310 


400 


- 


940 


7 


- 


Hardwoods and whits pine, ' 


1,220 


3,550 


150 


160 


5,080 


36 


- 


White pine. 


130 


710 


290 


500 


1,630 


12 


- 


Maple and birch. 


1,080 


940 


160 


140 


2,320 


17 


- 


Softwoods other than white 


90 


700 


100 


270 


1,160 


8 


_ 


pine. 2 
















Total 


3,150 


7,010 


1,740 


2,040 


13,940 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


23 


50 


12 


15 


3,280 


100 

i 


54 


NON- 

Tillage and hay. 


FOREST T 


YPES. 






13 


Open pasture. 










5,530 


- 


22 


Brush pasture. 










2,540 


- 


10 


Business, residential, etc.. 










110 




1 


Water 










200 




Total area of town, . 


25,600 


- 


100 



1 Hardwoods are mostly maple. 

2 About 50 per cent, pitch pine; remainder, largely hemlock. 



Harvard. 
The hills in this town are covered mostly with the chestnut 
and oak type, with considerable white pine in mixture and as 
an understory. Frequent stands of white pine occur on ridges 
and benches. In the northeastern part of the town near Shaker 
River is an extensive stand of white pine of first quality and 
size. Similar stands are also found on some flat land extending 
into, but raised above, the great swamp in the southwestern 
part of the town. Poplar and maple are found in the swamps 
of the stream bottoms, while on raised situations some pine is 
found. Gray birch is rapidly coming into the old pastures and 
in small tracts where there is an outcropping of sandy or rocky 



42 . 

soil. The extensive sand barren in the northwest part of the 
town is covered by a sparse growth of pitch pine with occasional 
bunches of white pine where there is better soil or more moisture 
available. The general condition of the woodlands is good. 
There are, however, many local areas where thinnings are needed. 
Mr. E. J. McLaughlin owns and operates a mill in which he 
saws pine for box boards and chestnut for chair stock, barrel 
staves and heading. Some poplar and pine are also used for the 
latter products. There is a planer in the mill and also stave and 
barrel-head making machinery. Mr. McLaughlin also operates 
local wood lots. 

Land Types. 







Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


I 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut, .... 


389 


243 


591 


394 


1,617 


18 


- 


Oak 


223 


66 


- 


- 


289 


3 


- 


Chestnut and oak, . 


132 


- 


92 


39 


263 


3 


- 


White pine, 


230 


184 


164 


394 


972 


11 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, ^ 


670 


526 


322 


250 


1,768 


19 


- 


Mbced hardwoods, 2 . 


2,280 


926 


263 


105 


3,574 


39 


- 


Pitch pine, 


256 


329 


13 


59 


657 


7 


- 


Total 


4,180 


2,274 


1,445 


1,241 


9,140 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


46 


25 


16 


13 


4,836 


100 


53 


NON- 

Tillage and hay. 


FOREST Types. 






28 


Open pasture. 








1,721 


- 


10 


Brush pasture. 








762 


- 


4 


Brush swamp. 








348 


- 


2 


Business, residential, etc.. 








100 


- 


1 


Water 








360 


- 


2 


Total area of town, . 


17,267 


- 


100 



1 Hardwoods are made up of about 30 per cent, chestnut and oak, 40 per cent, gray birch and 
30 per cent, maple. 

2 About 30 per cent, chestnut, 30 per cent, gray birch and 40 per cent, maple. 



HOLDEN. 

About 65 per cent, of the town is covered wuth a woody 
growth. Chestnut is the leading species, followed closely by 
oak. Numerous thick stands of birch occur, generally of Class 



43 



4 and up to Class 3. White pine is well distributed, and in the 
northeastern part of the town occurs very abundantly. Three- 
quarters of a mile south from the northeast corner is an area 
of several hundred acres of pure white pine varying in size 
from Class 4 to a small Class 1. Just across the road from this, 
and extending to the Boylston line, is an area of about the 
same size of pure chestnut, Classes 3 to 2, and stocked to a full 
100 per cent. Stone House Hill is practically covered with 
chestnut, and chestnut and oak, of an average Class 3 to 
Class 2. 

Asnebumskit Hill is almost entirely covered with woods. 
These are generally mixed hardwoods and mixed hardwoods and 
pine, although extensive areas of birch reproduction and brush 
pastures are found enclosed. Most of the woods have a heavy 
undergrowth of laurel. 

Waldo E. Austin owns a sawmill and box mill. Chestnut and 
pine are cut almost exclusively. This mill works in the spring 
and cuts logs for private owners. 







Land 


Types. 












Approximate 


Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut, .... 


598 


1,170 


1,298 


71 


3,137 


21 


- 


Oak 


270 


270 


64 


~ 


604 


4 


- 


Chestnut and oak, 


1,774 


1,813 


1,099 


90 


4,776 


31 


- 


White pine, 


116 


296 


315 


251 


978 


6 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, ' 


701 


913 


84 


19 


1,717 


11 


- 


Maple and gray birch, 


2,012 


1,581 


315 


103 


4,011 


27 


- 


Total 


5.471 


6,043 


3,175 


534 


15,223 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


36 


40 


21 


3 


4,776 


100 


66 


NON- 

Tillage and hay. 


FOREST T 


YPES. 






21 


Open pasture, 










1,902 


- 


8 


Brush pasture, 










764 


- 


3 


Business, residential, etc.. 










64 


1 


2 


Water 










405 


J 


Total area of town, . 


23,134 


- 


100 



1 Hardwoods are chiefly swamp maple and gray birch. 



44 



Hoped ALE. 

Chestnut is the most important tree, but considerable 
quantities of white pine occur also. The timber in the northern 
part of the town runs from 1 to a small 2 size, while in the 
southern part it is mostly found in the 4 and 3 classes. The 
timber on the land owned by the Draper Company and the 
town (750 acres) is almost all ready to cut, some of the pine 
running up to 90 feet high, and 30 inches diameter, breast high. 

There are no sawmills or operators in Hopedale, the most of 
the land being kept as a sort of reservation. 

The Draper Company uses a considerable quantity of lumber, 
keeping $500,000 worth on hand all the time. Most of this is 
used in building houses and repair work. It uses the follow- 
ing stock: ash from Vermont and New Hampshire; Oregon 
pine from Washington; cedar shingles from Washington; and 
small quantities of chestnut and pine from surrounding towns. 







Land Types. 












Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut 


260 


50 


120 


60 


490 


26 


- 


Oak, 


90 


- 


- 


- 


90 


5 


- 


Chestnut and oak, 


- 


40 


- 


- 


40 


2 


- 


White pine, 


80 


30 


40 


50 


200 


11 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, 


50 


120 


20 


- 


190 


10 


- 


Maple and gray birch, 


280 


470 


80 


- 


830 


44 


- 


Pitch pine. 


30 


- 


- 


- 


30 


2 


- 


Total, . . . . 


790 


710 


260 


110 


1,870 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


42 


38 


14 


6 


670 


100 


56 


NON 

Tillage and hay, 


-FOREST Types. 


20 


Open pasture. 




140 


- 


4 


Brush pasture. 




300 


- 


9 


Business, residential, etc.. 




280 


- 


8 


Water 




110 


- 


3 


Total area of town, . 


3,370 


- 


100 



' Hardwoods are principally red maple with some birch. 



45 



HUBBARDSTON. 

Practically all trees found in this State are found in this 
town, although pitch pine and spruce are rare. The leading 
types are birch (mostly gray), red maple and pine. Chestnut 
and oak, while common, exist scattered among other types. 
There is an unusual amount of pine reproduction, and if 
allowed to grow it will make Hubbardston one of the leading 
pine towns in the State. 

In Hubbardston village there is a blanket mill employing a 
few hands. There is a sawmill and box shop on the depot 
road, but it is not now running. The Roper Box Company at 
East Hubbardston operate a sawmill and box shop. William 
Clark holSs considerable timber land which operates through 
hired mills. W. E. Coffin and S. A. Bigelow, owners of portable 
mills, operate extensively in Hubbardston and vicinity. 



Land Types. 





Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut, .... 


110 


90 


180 


10 


390 


2 


- 


Beech, .... 


60 


150 


70 


- 


280 


2 


- 


Oak 


280 


660 


10 


20 


970 


5 


- 


White pine, 


1,130 


2,070 


1,580 


320 


5,100 


28 


- 


Maple and gray birch, ' 


6,810 


3,170 


500 


10 


10,490 


57 


- 


Softwoods other than white 


180 


650 


340 


30 


1,200 


6 


- 


pine. 2 
















Total 


8,570 


6,790 


2,680 


390 


18,430 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


46 


37 


15 


2 


3,510 


100 


69 


NON- 

Tillage and hay, . 


FOREST Types. 






13 


Open pasture, 








880 


- 


3 


Brush pasture. 








1,480 


- 


6 


Brush swamp, 








1,410 


- 


5 


Business, residential, etc., 
Water, .... 








770 
210 


_ 


3 

1 


Total area of town, . 


26,690 


- 


100 



1 Considerable poplar and alder included in Classes 3 and 4. 

2 Mostly hemlock and spruce. 



46 



Lancaster. 

The proportion of wooded land to the total area of the town 
is about 60 per cent. The best woodland lies in the southwest, 
between the river valley and the town line, along the George 
Hill and Ballard Hill ridges. The types are usually well de- 
fined, the most important being pine, oak, chestnut, soft maple 
and birch, in clear and in mixed stands. Reforestation is popu- 
lar on the larger estates; white pine is preferred. The planta- 
tions show rapid and healthy growth. 

The area in the northeast corner, bounded by Crumbury 
Pond, Shirley Road and the Nashua River, has a good covering 
of young pine, both white and pitch. The growth is not uni- 
form, however, and a large amount of brush, dead trees and 
fallen birch should be removed to bring it into the best con- 
dition. 

The rest of the town, except for a few acres surrounding the 
lakes, has been swept by forest fires. The reproduction consists 
of oak, chestnut, birch, soft maple and aspen, and in some cases 
a little pine. 

Practically no cutting for lumber is done by residents of 
Lancaster. There is one small chair factory on the Leominster 
road at Wekepeke Brook. The owner is W. W. Bartlett of 
Lancaster. Some cutting is done in this town by the lumber- 
men of Clinton. 



47 







Land Types. 












Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Pes Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


FoBEST Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut, .... 


40 


170 


80 


430 


720 


6 


- 


Oak 


1,220 


900 


80 


- 


2,200 


19 


- 


Chestnut and oak, 


780 


1,430 


120 


280 


2,610 


23 


- 


White pine, 


160 


940 


120 


800 


2,020 


18 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, i 


70 


390 


1,080 


80 


1,C20 


14 


- 


Maple and gray birch. 


350 


1,180 


130 


40 


1,700 


15 


- 


Softwoods other than white 


60 


220 


200 


110 


590 


5 


_ 


pine. 2 
















Total 


2,680 


5,230 


1,810 


1,740 


11,460 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


23 


46 


16 


15 


5,360 


100 


63 


NON- 

Tillage and hay, . 


FOREST T 


ypES. 




29 


Open pasture, 








480 


- 


3 


Brush pasture. 








530 


- 


3 


Business, residential, etc.. 








150 


- 


1 


Water, .... 








130 


- 


1 


Total area of town, . 


18,110 


- 


100 



1 Hardwoods are maple and gray birch. 

- Largely pitch pine with about 50 acres of hemlock. 



Leicester. 

The principal woodland types are soft maple and gray birch, 
either separately or in mixture, chestnut, oak and white pine. 
There is a fair representation of older age classes. The pastures 
contain much sweet fern and sumac. Around the reservoir of 
Worcester water board on Kettle Brook there are some planta- 
tions of white pine. 

There are no wood-using industries in the town and no 
permanent sawmills. There is a good market for box lumber, 
poles, ties and cordwood in Worcester, so that timber lots are 
cut as soon as they become of merchantable size. Southwick 
and Barry are the leading local operators and deal principally in 
chestnut products. 



48 



Land Types. 





Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


I 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut, .... 


230 


320 


440 


10 


1,000 


10 


- 


Oak 


90 


240 


50 


30 


410 


4 


- 


Chestnut and oak, . 


1,250 


1,100 


530 


30 


2,910 


28 


- 


White pine, 


360 


250 


340 


50 


1,000 


10 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, 


150 


500 


610 


30 


1,290 


13 


- 


Maple and gray birch, 


2,570 


800 


100 


- 


3,470 


34 


- 


Hemlock 


20 


70 


20 


- 


110 


1 


- 


Total 


4,670 


3,280 


2,090 


150 


10,190 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


46 


32 


21 


1 


2,770 


100 


65 


NON- 

Tillage and hay. 


FOREST Types. 






18 


Open pasture. 








220 


- 


1 


Brush pasture, 








910 


- 


6 


Alder and brush swamp. 








480 


- 


3 


Business, residential, etc.. 








900 


- 


6 


Water 








220 


- 


1 


Total area of town, . 






15,690 


- 


100 



Leominster. 

About 50 per cent, of this town's area is wooded. The 
majority of the timber is in only fair condition, owing to forest 
fires and tree diseases. Chestnut is the leading species, and is 
the principal tree covering the large hills. White pine occurs 
everywhere, but not in such large and continuous stands as the 
chestnut. The chestnut and oak sprout lands and mixtures of 
white pine and gray birch occur abundantly and in about equal 
proportion. The white pine is in good healthy condition and 
growing rapidly wherever it occurs. Size classes range from the 
largest to the smallest. The majority of the stands, however, 
will fall under Class 3. Leaving out all trees under 6 inches, 
the average V\dll run about 8 to 10 inches diameter, breast high. 

No sawmills were found. Woodworking industries represent 
more capital than any phase of manufacturing in Leominster. 



49 



It is estimated that over 10,000,000 board feet are worked up 
annually in this city. Among the most prominent lumber- 
using and woodworking industries are the following: — 



Whitney Reed Corporation. 
E. G. Smith Piano Case Company. 
J. H. Lockey & Co., Piano Cases. 
Leominster Novelty Company. 
Merriam Hall Furniture Company. 



W. A. Fuller Lumber Company. 
Richardson Piano Case Company. 
Jewett Piano Case Company. 
Wellington Piano Case Company. 
E. A. Whitney Carriage Company. 



The output of these concerns varies from 500,000 to 2,500,000 
board feet annually. Practically all of the native woods and 
much foreign wood are used in the various products. 

Land Types. 





Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut, .... 


122 


875 


617 


32 


1,646 


19 


- 


Oak 


411 


251 


- 


90 


752 


9 


- 


Chestnut and oak, . 


998 


811 


264 


- 


2,073 


24 


- 


White pine, 


64 


359 


462 


392 


1,277 


14 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, i 


130 


83 


- 


- 


213 


2 


- 


Maple and gray birch. 


707 


1,620 


150 


85 


2,562 


29 


- 


Pitch pine. 


13 


202 


27 


6 


248 


3 


- 


Total, .... 


2,445 


4,201 


1,520 


605 


8,771 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


28 


48 


17 


7 


5,048 


100 


47 


NON- 

Tillage and hay, 


FOREST Types. 






27 


Open pasture. 








2,703 


- 


14 


Brush pasture, 








517 


- 


3 


Biisiness, residential, etc.. 








1,327 


- 


7 


Water, .... 








451 


- 


2 


Total area of town, . 


18,817 


- 


100 



' Hardwoods are gray birch, red maple and poplar. 

Lunenburg. 
The proportion of forest land to the total area of the town 
is about 65 per cent. The general condition is very good. 
Most of the woodland lies north of Lunenburg village, but there 



50 



are a few excellent lots of young timber trees in the middle and 
southern sections. The town has recently purchased 20 acres of 
pine land, size Classes 2 to 1, stocked nearly 100 per cent., just 
north of the village. It will be used as a park. The principal 
types found in Lunenburg are white pine, pitch pine, chestnut, 
oak, maple, poplar and gray birch. Most of the land is utilized, 
and waste tracts are very rare. 

H. B. Francis of Lunenburg cuts about 100 M board feet per 
year of pine, chestnut and hardwoods and about 200 cords of 
wood. 

Land Types. 





Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut 


127 


298 


869 


, 70 


1,364 


12 


- 


Oak, 


336 


368 


165 


- 


869 


7 


- 


Chestnut and oak, . 


584 


1,465 


406 


152 


2,607 


22 


- 


White pine. 


51 


774 


2,252 


596 


3,673 


31 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, i 


184 


729 


222 


146 


1,281 


11 


- 


Maple and gray birch, 


837 


647 


89 


32 


1,605 


14 


- 


Pitch pine, 


- 


114 


152 


38 


304 


3 


- 


Total, .... 


2,119 


4,395 


4,155 


1,034 


11,703 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


18 


38 


35 


9 


5,183 


100 


63 


NON- 

Tillaae and hay, 


FOREST Types. 






28 


Open pasture. 








844 


- 


4 


Brush pasture. 








101 


- 


1 


Business, residential, etc., 








203 


- 


1 


Water, .... 








590 


- 


3 


Total area of town, . 


■ 18,624 


- 


100 



1 Hardwoods are gray birch and maple. 



Mendon. 

Although sizes 4 to 3 are the prevailing size classes, yet 20 
per cent, or more of the timbered land has sizes 3 to 2 on it, 
mostly chestnut and oak with a little good merchantable pine. 
Mendon fares better than most of the surrounding towns in 
having a fair proportion of the cut-over lots coming in to pine. 



51 



Comparative freedom from fires may account for this to some 
degree. 

There are no mills working in Mendon and no woodworking 
industries are located there. C. A. Fletcher buys and cuts off 
lots in Mendon and surrounding towns. 







Land Types. 














Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut 


172 


303 


99 


20 


594 


8 


- 


Oak 


317 


185 


- 


- 


502 


7 


- 


Chestnut and oak, . 


224 


376 


277 


73 


950 


13 


- 


White pine, 


152 


53 


- 


46 


251 


3 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, i 


270 


152 


125 


13 


560 


7 




Maple and gray birch. 


2,936 


825 


600 


- 


4,361 


59 


- 


Pitch pine, 


53 


132 


33 


- 


218 


3 


- 


Total, . . ■ . 


4,124 


2,026 


1,134 


152 


7,436 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


56 


27 


15 


2 


2,427 


100 


65 


NON- 

Tillage and hay. 


FOREST Types. 




21 


Open pasture. 






824 


- 


7 


Brush pasture. 






732 


- 


6 


Water 






165 


- 


1 


Total area of town, . 








11,584 


- 


100 



1 Hardwoods are largely gray birch, red maple and oaks. 



MiLFORD. 

The strong market for cordwood and the ready market for 
saw^ stock as well have operated to keep the timber pretty well 
cut. Only a small percentage, perhaps 15 per cent., is older 
than Class 3, and by far the greater part would be classed as 
4. Pitch pine takes the place of white pine to a considerable 
extent, but neither is present in anything approaching mer- 
chantable quantities. Chestnut, soft maple and oaks (black, 
red, scrub, white and chestnut) are the most important of the 
hardwoods. Between Cedar Street and the Holliston line are 
considerable quantities of scrub oak and chestnut oak. 



52 



There are no sawmills, either stationary or portable, in Mil- 
ford. There are no operators resident in the town, but C. A. 
Fletcher of Mendon and D. W, Gaskill of Blackstone have done 
some cutting in the past. For the most part the owners cut 
their own wood, delivering it to the local cordwood dealers. 

Z. C. Field Lumber Company use about 4,000,000 feet of 
lumber per year. Practically all of this lumber comes from 
outside of the State, and consists of white pine, western yellow 
pine, spruce, cypress, whitewood and hemlock. Most of their 
white pine is, obtained from Canada. 

S. A. Eastman Box Company use annually about 175 M board 
feet of native white pine. 

Land Types. 







Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


I 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut, .... 


157 


103 


151 


54 


465 


8 


- 


Oak 


163 


133 


48 


- 


344 


6 


- 


Chestnut and oak, . 


664 


428 


78 


- 


1,170 


21 


- 


White pine, 


54 


109 


30 


60 


253 


4 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, 


72 


- 


72 


- 


144 


3 


- 


Maple and gray birch, 


1,786 


1,152 


235 


- 


3,173 


57 


- 


Pitch pine. 


30 


12 


- 


18 


60 


1 


- 


Total 


2,926 


1,937 


614 


132 


5,609 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


52 


35 


11 


2 


2,228 


100 


58 


NON 

Tillage and hay, 


-FOREST Types. 






23 


Open pasture. 








296 


- 


3 


Brush pasture. 








706 


.- 


8 


Business, residential, etc., 








622 


- 


■7 


Water 








127 


- 


1 


Total area of town, . 






9,588 


- 


100 



MiLLBURY. 

The condition of the woods of the southwest portion is very 
good. The soil is excellent, and fires have not done much 
damage. Chestnut and red maple are the principal trees. 
There is a little scattering of white pine and a few small stands 
of good merchantable pine. Of the comparatively small 



53 



acreage of timber in the town, mostly chestnut and oaks, Httle 
is merchantable at present. The best lies along the Oxford and 
Auburn sides. The cut-over areas are reproducing well. There 
are some brushy pastures coming into gray birch and fuel wood, 
with a very little white pine in places, and there are also con- 
siderable areas where repeated fires have left little but scrub 
oak and gray birch. Throughout the town, and especially in 
the east, are maple swamps, usually small in area. 

There are three sawmills owned in Millbury. The owners are 
W. R. Howe, W. A. Harris and A. W. Rice. These are all 
small mills, sawing from 50 M to 150 M board feet per year 
when running; practically all local stock. The only wood- 
W'Orking industry is a small outfit at West Millbury making 
tool handles, used mostly by the local edge tool factories of 
which there are two. 

Land Types. 







Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut, .... 


190 


289 


221 


160 


860 


18 


- 


Chestnut and oak, . 


307 


313 


264 


37 


921 


19 


- 


White pine, 


6 


- 


43 


98 


147 


3 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, 


258 


344 


25 


49 


676 


14 


- 


Maple and gray birch. 
Pitch pine, 


1,419 


602 


104 
18 


86 


2,211 
18 


) « 




Total 


2,180 


1,548 


675 


430 


4,833 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


45 32 


14 


9 


3,032 


100 


46 


NON- 

Tillage and hay. 


FOREST Types. 






28 


Open pasture. 








1,634 


- 


15 


Brush pasture, 








559 


- 


5 


Business, residential, etc.. 








362 


- 


3 


Water 








332 


- 


3 


Total area of town, . 






10,752 


- 


100 



New Braintree. 
The woodland of New Braintree is not an important part of 
its assets. The chestnut type occupies the largest area and is 
the most important commercially. Pine is not as common as 



54 



in surrounding towns, and is found largely in the Ware River 
valley section. There is considerable chestnut of commercial 
size. 

There are no wood-using industries in the town and no saw- 
mills. Ties are the chief forest product, and New Braintree 
depot is an important tie-shipping station for the surrounding 
country. James Barr & Son are the leading lumbermen in the 
town, although operators living in North Brookfield and Ware 
do most of the lumbering in this vicinity. 







Land Types. 












Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut 

Oak, 


151 
63 


404 


341 


297 


1,193 
63 


26 


- 


Chestnut and oak, 


442 


284 


- 


25 


751 


15 


- 


White pine. 


189 


310 


83 


126 


708 


14 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, i 


360 


454 


88 


69 


971 


20 


- 


Maple and gray birch. 


410 


575 


32 


51 


1,068 


22 


- 


Softwoods other than white 


69 


88 


- 


- 


157 


3 


_ 


pine. 
















Total 


1,684 


2,115 


544 


568 


4,911 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


34 


43 


11 


12 


3,591 


100 


36 


NON- 

Tillage and hay, . 


FOREST Types. 




26 


Open pasture. 






4,753 


- 


35 


Brush pasture. 






430 




3 


Water 






12 




Total area of town, . 


13,697 


- 


100 



1 Hardwoods are principally maple and birch, with a little chestnut and oak. 



North Brookfield. 
The woodland of North Brookfield is made up chiefly of 
second-growth hardwoods. Chestnut forms a less important 
timber tree than was the case in Warren and West Brookfield, 
i.e., there are less pure stands. Pine is perhaps the most im- 
portant species. There are several wood lots in the east and 
west, where young pine trees are growing very vigorously. 



55 



Poplar, although not abundant, is found generally throughout 
the town. In the northwest, near Sucker Brook, there is a pure 
stand of hickory of about 10 acres. Other species which make 
up the forest land are pitch pine, maple, hickory and ash. 

There are two lumber dealers and operators in town, — 
William F. Fullam and H. E. Cummings. Both have portable 
sawmills which operate in the surrounding towns. Mr. Fullam 
also has a small mill operated by electricity in which he does 
planing, etc. 

Land Types. 



Forest Types. 

Chestnut, . 

Oak, . 

Chestnut and oak. 

White pine. 

Hardwoods and white pine, ' 

Maple and gray birch, 2 

Softwoods other than white 
pine.' 

Total 

Percentage, . 



Approximate Size Classes. 



Acres. 
240 
290 
140 

190 
640 



1,500 
28 



Acres. 

700 

200 

60 

60 

860 

740 

40 



2,660 



Acres. 
520 
130 
60 
50 
180 
230 



1,170 
22 



Acres. 
20 



20 



Tillage and hay. 
Open pasture, 
Brush pasture, 
Business, residential, etc.. 

Water 

Total area of town, . 



Non-forest Types. 



Total. 



Acres. 

1,480 

620 

260 

120 

1,240 

1,610 

60 



5,390 



3,810 

3,200 

1,280 

280 

250 



14,210 



Per Cent. 



Forest. Town 



100 



38 

27 

22 

9 

2 

2 
100 



1 Hardwoods are red maple, gray birch, oak and chestnut. 

2 This type contains some oak and chestnut. 

3 Mostly pitch pine and hemlock. 



NORTHBOROUGH. 

The proportion of timbered land to the total area of the 
town is about 50 per cent. More than half of the high land is 
wooded, the farms lying mostly in the valleys. There is an 
abundance of healthy pine, usually in mixed stands, and nearly 
every wood lot contains at least a small amount. The oak and 



56 



chestnut timber are not in the best of condition. Gypsy and 
brown-tail moth devastations have been most severe, and are 
in evidence over tlie entire area of the town. Tree planting 
has been practiced on a small scale in at least two instances by 
citizens. One plantation is located near South Street and the 
other is owned by a Mr. Wesson. These plantations have 
reached the large pole stage and are in healthy condition. 

Guilford P. Heath cuts from 50 M to 100 M board feet of 
lumber per year. It is mostly chestnut, with a fair proportion 
of oak and pine. G. H. Felt, although cutting no timber, buys 
and sells pine, hemlock, hard pine, cypress, white wood and 
red cedar, obtaining practically all the stock from outside the 
State. 

Land Types. 





Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut, .... 


60 


520 


200 


200 


980 


16 


- 


Oak 


300 


830 


60 


250 


1,440 


23 


- 


Chestnut and oak, 


400 


640 


40 


150 


1,230 


20 


- 


White pine. 


- 


260 


80 


220 


560 


9 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, 


20 


390 


50 


60 


520 


8 


- 


Maple and gray birch, 


90 


1,070 


110 


60 


1,330 


21 


- 


Softwoods other than white 
pine. 


- 


130 


50 


- 


180 


3 


- 


Total 


870 


3,840 


590 


940 


6,240 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


14 


62 


9 


15 


3,200 


100 


52 


NON- 

Tillage and hay, . 


FOREST Types. 






27 


Open pasture, 








1,480 


- 


12 


Brush pasture. 








830 


- 


7 


Business, residential, etc.. 








100 


■ 


2 


Water 








200 






Total area of town, . 


12,050 


- 


100 



NORTHBRIDGE. 

Very few timber types are found in Northbridge. Chestnut 
and chestnut and pine are most prominent. In the south- 
western part of the town the stands belonging to the Whitin 



57 



Machine Works will run a good average in size, while a fair 
amount will come under the head of mature merchantable. 
Scattered throughout the entire town are small patches of 
chestnut which will run to Class 2, although the majority is 
slightly smaller. Pine occurs, but not abundantly, in Class 2. 

Stands of mixed hardwoods occur in many places. The plots 
are small and the trees are seldom larger than Class 3. These 
stands quickly run into chestnut and oak. Oak is very com- 
mon. It occurs In large areas, generally in Class 3. Birch is 
not present in large amounts. 

The type covering most of the town is a mixture of chestnut 
and oak sprouts. Class 4, with a stocking varying from 75 to 
100 per cent. Where timber larger than Class 3 occurs it is 
practically always straight and sound, and will furnish excellent 
material for poles or for the sawmill. 

At the time the survey was made there were no sawmills or 
woodworking industries in Northbridge. 







Land 


Types. 














Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut, . . 


240 


280 


350 


220 


1,090 


15 


- 


Oak 


470 


340 


- 


30 


840 


11 


- 


Chestnut and oak, 


840 


290 


100 


90 


1,320 


18 


- 


White pine, 


390 


250 


100 


370 


1,110 


15 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine. 


510 


380 


130 


30 


1,050 


14 


- 


Maple and gray birch. 


1,030 


810 


100 


- 


1,940 


26 


- 


Pitch pine. 


- 


10 


30 


- 


40 


- 


- 


Total 


3,480 


2,360 


810 


740 


7,390 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


47 


32 


11 


10 


2,060 


100 


61 


NON- 

Tillage and hay, . 


FORE.ST T 


YPES. 






17 


Open pasture. 










990 


- 


8 


Brush pasture. 










770 


- 


6 


Brush swamp. 










100 


- 


1 


Business, residential, etc.. 








. 


320 


- 


3 


Water 










530 


- 


4 


Total area of town, . 


12,160 


- 


100 



58 



Oakham. 

White pine types, either pure pine or mixtures of pine, 
chestnut and oak, form the largest part of the woodland, and 
there is a considerable amount of commercial, or nearly com- 
mercial, size. Chestnut is second in importance, and is found 
mostly in the south and west sections of the town. There 
appears to be more oak in this town than in the surrounding 
townships, but most of it is of small size and poor quality. 

This town has no manufacturing industries of any kind. 
There is a basket factory in Coldbrook, but it was not running 
when the survey was made. Ash, hickory and oak were used 
in this business. There is at present a water mill on Five Mile 
River belonging to Walter Dean. Mr. Dean formerly bought 
and operated his own woodlands, but has done little of this 
business in recent years, and his mill work is confined largely 
to custom sawing. 







Land Types. 












Approximate Size Classes. j 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


FoKEST Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut 


61 


257 


814 


153 


1,285 


15 


- 


Oak 


373 


43 


43 


43 


502 


6 


- 


Chestnut and oak, . 


349 


496 


263 


110 


1,218 


14 


- 


White pine, 


349 


606 


312 


514 


1,781 


21 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, i 


716 


1,199 


202 


153 


2,270 


27 


- 


Maple and birch. 


594 


569 


135 


- 


1,298 


15 


- 


Pitch pine, 


12 


122 


37 


37 


208 


2 


. - 


Total 


2,454 


3,292 


1,806 


1,010 


8,562 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


29 


38 


21 


12 


1.995 


100 


63 


NON- 

Tillage and hay, . 


FOREST TTPES. 




15 


Open pasture, 






2.062 


- 


15 


Brush pasture, 






685 


- 


5 


Water 






281 


- 


2 


Total area of town, . 








13,585 


- 


100 



1 Hardwoods are chestnut, oak and birch. 



59 



Oxford. • 

Most of the forest land is found on the hills, those to the 
west being more generally forested than those on the east side. 
The largest individual types are the gray birch and maple, but 
the most prominent trees are chestnut and pine. There is a 
rather unusual amount of forest land, with a growth of com- 
mercial, or nearly commercial, size. In the non-forest type one 
is struck by the small amount of open and brush pasture as 
compared with tillage. 

The principal wood-using industry of Oxford is the box 
factory of Chaffee Brothers. In addition to boxes they manu- 
facture rough building lumber and planing mill products. They 
operate two or three portable mills, cutting lots in southern 
Worcester County and northern Connecticut, although oc- 
casionally they have operated wood lots as far away as New 
Hampshire and Maine. They handle more or less chestnut, 
which is either put into building lumber or ties. Their annual 
consumption of lumber is about 5,000,000 feet. 

Turner Brothers make a specialty of dealing in chestnut, 
especially for ties. 

Land Types. 





Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut 


20 


40 


250 


140 


450 


4 


_ 


Oak 


290 


130 


- 


- 


420 


4 


~ 


Chestnut and oak, . 


1,030 


650 


440 


20 


2,140 


19 




White pine, 


290 


280 


400 


580 


1,550 


14 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, ' 


510 


1,230 


490 


860 


3,090 


28 


_ 


Mixed hardwoods, 2 . 


1,450 


1,210 


330 


450 


3,440 






Softwoods other than white 


_ 


40 


- 


- 


40 


31 


- 


pine. 
















Total, .... 


3,590 


3,580 


1,910 


2,050 


11,130 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


32 


32 


17 


19 


4,470 


100 


64 


NON- 

Tillage and hay. 


FOREST Types. 






26 


Open pasture. 








730 


- 


4 


Brush pasture. 








600 


- 


3 


Water 






■ 


600 


- 


3 


Total area of town, . 






17,530 


- 


100 



1 Hardwoods are principally chestnut and oak. 

* Gray birch and red maple in smaller classes, and chestnut and oak in the larger sizes. 



60 



Paxton. 

About 60 per cent, of Paxton is wooded, chestnut and white 
pine being the leading species. Oak and soft maple occur 
abundantly, and thick stands of young birch are found every- 
where. Practically all of the timber in the eastern part of the 
town is below Class 2 in size. The best stand found was a 
mixture of pine and chestnut near the southern boundary of 
the town, one-half mile east of Kettell Brook. This is in 
splendid condition and ranges from Class 2 to Class 1 in size. 
Very small stands of pine of this class are found in scattered 
wood lots. Mixed hardwoods, common to low situations, are 
present in many places. In general, such stands are in rather 
poor condition. Tangled undergrowth and young dead trees 
are characteristic, and laurel is very common. 

Edward E. Eames, Paxton, owns a water mill. He buys 
small wood lots and cuts timber. He has a number of wood 
lots well stocked with pine and chestnut, now too small to cut. 
He has done a little planting of white pine. 

D. T. Grayton owns no mill, but buys wood lots and installs 
portable mills. In good years he cuts about 1,000 M board feet 
of pine, chestnut and hemlock. There are no woodworking 
industries in Paxton. 

Land Types. 





Approximate 


Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 

Chestnut, .... 

Oak 

Chestnut and oak, 
White pine, 

Hardwoodsand white pine, i 
Maple and gray birch, 
Softwoods other than white 
pine. 2 


Acres. 

90 

270 

270 

1,090 

220 


Acres. 

270 

20 

340 

100 

650 

1,070 

20 


Acres. 

250 
100 
20 
190 

120 
20 


Acres. 
50 

20 
220 

40 
30 


Acres. 

■ 570 
120 
470 
780 
920 
2,320 
290 


10 
2 
9 
14 
17 
43 
5 


- 


Total 

Percentage, 


1,940 
35 


2,470 
45 


700 
13 


360 
7 


5,470 

3,140 
400 
630 
210 


100 


56 


NON- 

Tillage and hay, . 
Open pasture. 
Brush pasture. 
Water 


forest Types. 






32 
4 
6 
2 


Total area of town, . 






9,850 


- 


100 



1 Hardwoods are gray birch, red maple and oak. 
s Pitch pine, hemlock and spruce. 



61 



Petersham. 

This town has an unusually large percentage of pine, es- 
pecially in the medium sizes, forming a large part of the large 
percentage of forest area which the town has. The second 
largest type, called maple and birch, which in most tow^ns 
means red maple and gray birch, in this section includes also 
white and yellow birch, beech and sugar maple. There is an 
unusual amount of hemlock in the forests of Petersham. There 
is a rather high percentage of Class 2, which may be due to the 
fact that nearly 2,000 acres of the best timberland in the town 
is in the possession of the Harvard Forest School. 

There is no manufacturing industry whatever in the town. 
The town obtains its livelihood from farming and catering to 
summer residents, for it is a popular summer resort. There is 
a small box shop belonging to John Carter and a water-power 
sawmill at Nichewaug, but neither is running at present. 
There is a ready market for pine and other lumber in Athol. 
The Diamond Match Company has now a portable mill 
operating in the town, while each winter the authorities in 
charge of the Forest School do some operating. There is a fair 
market for cordwood, but it is limited in extent. 



Land Types. 





.Approximate 


Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 

Chestnut, .... 

Oak 

White pine, ' . . . 
Maple and birch, 2 
Hemlock, .... 


Acres. 

380 
560 
940 
2,860 
270 


Acres. 

630 

830 

2,150 

2,710 

480 


Acres. 

670 
300 
2,390 
470 
290 


Acres. 

50 
50 
750 
40 
60 


Acres. 

1,730 
1,740 
6,230 
6,080 
1,100 


10 
10 
37 
36 

7 


- 


Total 

Percentage, . 


5,010 
30 


6,800 
40 


4,120 
24 


950 
6 


16,880 

3,000 

1,270 

2,140 

770 

320 

70 


100 

} = 


69 


NON- 

Tillage and hay, . 

Open pasture. 

Brush pasture. 

Brush and alder swamp. 

Business, residential, etc., 

Water, .... 


FOREST Types. 






12 
5 
9 
3 

2 


Total area of town, . 






24,450 


- 


100 



1 White pine in mixture has been proportioned as if growing in pure stands. 
* Smaller sizes are red maple and gray birch, while larger size classes contain white and yellow 
birch and beech. 



62 



Phillipston. 

There are but a few good stands of timber left in Phillipston. 
Possibly the best of these lies on the ridge west of Queen Lake 
or Phillipston Pond. There is also a fairly good stand of white 
pine and mixed hardwoods — oak, chestnut, birch and maple — 
on the ridge which forms the eastern border of the lake. 

Aside from the above-mentioned stands most of the forested 
lands of Phillipston consist of pure white pine stands and 
coppice hardwoods, together with mixed stands of white pine 
and hardwoods, which are of the reproduction and small 
merchantable size. Chestnut was found occasionally in pure 
stands, but in most cases it was mixed with oak and maple. 
Oak was found more frequently in pure stands than was the 
chestnut. 

The principal species found, in order, are white pine, oak, 
maple, chestnut, gray birch, white birch, spruce, larch, hemlock 
and a little yellow birch. Basswood was noticed in many 
places, but this existed only in the reproduction size. Ash also 
appeared in small quantities. 

On account of the scarcity of good timber there are no wood- 
working industries in the town. 







Land Types. 












Approxima'be Size Cla-sses. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 

Oak 

Chestnut and oak, . 
White pine, 

Hardwoods and white pine, i 
Maple and birch, 2 
Softwoods other than white 
pine. 


Acres. 

20 
150 
180 
690 
690 

60 


Acres. 

280 
450 
460 
3,170 
820 
100 


Acres. 

220 
370 
560 
680 
100 
150 


Acres. 

90 
330 
180 
20 
20 


Acres. 

520 

i,oeo 

1,530 

4,720 

1,630 

330 


5 
11 
16 

48 
17 
3 


- 


Total 

Percentage, . 


1,790 
18 


5,280 
54 


2,080 
21 


640 
7 


9,790 

3,130 

2,330 

180 


100 


64 


NON- 

Tillage and hay, . 

Open pasture. 

Water 


FOREST Types. 




20 

15 

1 


Total area of town, . 








15,430 


- 


100 



1 Hardwoods are gray birch, soft maple, oak and chestnut. 

2 Principally gray birch and red maple, with some white and yellow birch and beech in the 
larger sizes. 



63 



Princeton. 

Woodlands show little variation either in composition or size 
classes over most of the area. The gray birch and maple types 
cover the largest area. White pine is generally found in mixture 
with hardwoods, although there are many small scattering wood 
lots which contain almost pure stands. Chestnut and oak are 
usually found in mixture together. The chestnut, however, is 
often found in pure well-distributed stands; but the oak, when 
separate from the chestnut, usually contains a mixture of maple 
and yellow and paper birch. 

The Roper Lumber and Box Company is the only mill and 
woodworking industry in Princeton. It is located very close to 
the Hubbardston line. This mill has an average cut of about 
1,000,000 board feet. Pine, hemlock and spruce constitute 
about nine-tenths of the annual cut, while mixed hardwoods 
make up the remainder. 

Land Types. 





Approximate 


Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 


















4 


3 


2 


1 




Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut 


100 


980 


610 


120 


1,810 


12 


_ 


Oak 


310 


650 


430 


40 


1,330 


9 


- 


Chestnut and oak, 


340 


840 


270 


- 


1,450 


10 


- 


White pine, 


290 


1,000 


730 


850 


2,870 


20 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, 


1,330 


1,470 


30 


90 


3,120 


21 


- 


Maple and gray birch, 


2,350 


1,220 


250 


80 


3,900 


26 


- 


Softwoods other than white 


- 


80 


170 


10 


260 


2 


- 


pine. 
















Total 


4,920 


6,140 


2,490 


1,190 


14,740 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


33 


42 


17 


8 




100 


65 


NON- 


FOREST Types. 








Tillage and hay, 








2,610 


- 


11 


Open pasture, 








4,800 


- 


21 


Brush pasture, 








410 


- 


2 


Water 








290 


- 


1 


Total area of town, . 






22,850 


- 


100 



ROYALSTON. 

Royalston has but two or three stands of virgin growth left. 
These are white pine and hemlock on Jacob's Hill. The hard- 
wood stands are of coppice growth, while the white pine stands 
seeded in naturally. The principal trees found in order of im- 



64 



portance and quantity are white pine, hemlock, chestnut, oak^ 
maple (rock and red), white birch, yellow birch, beech, spruce, 
ash, larch, gray birch, red elm and ironwood. 

Royalston has no wood-using industries. It has four saw- 
mills cutting white pine, chestnut, oak, hemlock, maple, birch 
and beech. 

W. Farrar at South Royalston has a small mill cutting from 
100 M to 500 M board feet per year. 

Newton & Davis in the northeastern part of the town cut 
1 ,000 M board feet per year. 

C. Perry in the northern part cuts 200 M board feet per year, 
most of which is baled stock. 

G. E. Pierce has done some cutting in the western part of the 
town. 

The daily capacity of these mills is about 8 M board feet. 
They do not work steadily on account of a shortage of labor. 







Land Types. 














Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut, .... 


70 


130 


180 


20 


400 


2 


- 


Oak 


160 


290 


240 


120 


810 


4 


- 


Chestnut and oak, 


70 


100 


190 


90 


450 


2 


- 


White pine. 


280 


1,480 


1,570 


880 


4,210 


20 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, i 


2,530 


2,160 


660 


20 


5,370 


25 


- 


Mixed hardwoods, 2 . 


3,000 


2,800 


1,410 


520 


7,730 


37 


- 


Softwoods other than white ' 


310 


880 


620 


310 


2,120 


10 


_ 


pine. 3 
















Total 


6,420 


7,840 


4,870 


1,960 


21,090 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


31 


37 


23 


9 


3,620 


100 


75 


NON- 

Tillage and hay. 


forest I 


YPES. 




13 


Open pasture, 








1,990 


- 


7 


Brush pasture. 








1,020 


- 


4 


Business, residential, etc.. 








70 




1 


Water 








180 




Total area of town, . 






27,970 


- 


100 



1 Hardwoods are principally soft maple and gray birch, but some white birch and hard maple 
are represented in the larger classes. 

2 Mostly soft maple and gray birch, with some white birch, beech and sugar maple, especially 
in Classes 2 and 1. 

2 Mostly hemlock, with some spruce and larch. 



65 



Rutland. 

White pine is the leading tree, and the remainder of the 
woodland is made up of oak, chestnut, soft maple and birch, 
with small amounts of hemlock and spruce. White pine and 
birch is the leading type. Practically the entire northern 
quarter of the town is covered with this growth. The pine, in 
almost every case, is in very healthy condition, and has a good 
start on the birch. While birch is now present in large quanti- 
ties, all conditions point to its suppression. In ten to twenty 
years this should be pure pine forest. Very little farm land is 
found in this section. The pine runs in size from Class 4 to 
Class 2. In the southern half of the town the composition is 
more varied. On the higher lands white pine, chestnut and oak 
predominate. In the lower portions soft maple and alder, with 
small amounts of hemlock and spruce, are found. Mixtures of 
soft maple and alder are very common. Trees of every size 
class are found, but the average is about Class 3. South of 
Demond Pond for three-quarters of a mile are stands of 
excellent chestnut. These trees average Class 2 in size. About 
60 per cent, of the town is covered with wood growth. 

John Moore of Ware has set up a portable mill in the south- 
west corner of the town, capable of sawing about 300 M board 
feet. He cuts chestnut mostly, with some oak and pine. 

Daniels Worsted Mills, West Rutland, owns, in connection 
with the worsted mill, a permanent sawmill. This is used only 
when logs are brought in by farmers from time to time. Any 
kind of wood is sawed, but mostly chestnut and pine. This 
mill cuts about 50,000 board feet per year. 



66 



Land Types. 





Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut 


- 


60 


170 


250 


480 


3 


- 


Oak 


410 


600 


430 


100 


1,540 


11 


- 


Chestnut and oak, . 


210 


320 


560 


100 


1,190 


9 


- 


White pine, 


230 


1.400 


810 


440 


2,880 


21 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, ' 


850 


2,125 


180 


60 


3,215 


23 


- 


Maple and birch. 


2,310 


930 


520 


150 


3,910 


28 


- 


Softwoods other than white 
pine. 2 


140 


140 


210 


140 


630 


5 


- 


Total, .... 


4,150 


5,575 


2,880 


1,240 


13,845 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


30 


40 


21 


9 


4,910 


100 


60 


NON- 

Tillage and hay, . 


FOREST Types. 






21 


Open pasture. 








2,430 


- 


11 


Brush pasture. 








1,400 


- 


6 


Water, .... 








530 


- 


2 


Total area of town, . 






23,115 


- 


100 



1 Hardwoods are maple, birch and oak. 

2 About 30 per cent, pitch pine; remainder, hemlock and larch. 



Shrewsbury. 

About 50 per cent, of Shrewsbury is wooded. Small wood 
lots of from 10 to 25 acres, alternating with farm and pasture 
lands, are distinctly characteristic of the eastern three-quarters 
of the town. Chestnut in pure stands and in mixture with oak 
forms the larger part of the wood lots. In size the trees will 
range from Class 4 to Class 1. Birch occurs in numerous areas, 
though not in exceptionally large ones. The best timber in the 
town is found in the vicinity of Lake Quinsigamond. This is in 
perfect condition, and to a large extent falls in Class 1. It is 
made up mostly of chestnut in pure stands and in mixture with 
white pine. 

Harlow Hill, in the northwestern part of the town, com- 
prising roughly an area of 2 square miles, is completely covered 
with chestnut and pine, all size classes being represented. The 



67 



greater part is a sprout growth of Classes 4 to 3, stocked to a 
full 100 per cent. Pine and chestnut of Class 2 and better 
occur in large amounts on the north side of the hill. 
There are no woodworking industries in town. 







Land Types. 












Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut, .... 


250 


260 


950 


400 


1,860 


27 


- 


Oak 


- 


220 


160 


60 


440 


6 


- 


Chestnut and oak, . 


620 


330 


230 


100 


1,280 


19 


- 


White pine. 


30 


100 


40 


30 


200 


3 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, i 


150 


190 


40 


- 


380 


6 


- 


Maple and birch, 
Pitch pine, 


1,530 
15 


920 
15 


190 


20 


2,660 
30 


39 


- 


Total 


2,595 


2,035 


1,610 


610 


6,850 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


38 


29 


23 


10 


3,690 


100 


49 


NON- 

Tillage and hay, . 


forest Types. 




26 


Open pasture, 






1,880 


- 


14 


Brush pasture. 






860 


- 


6 


Water 






690 


- 


5 


Total area of town, . 








13,970 


- 


100 



1 Hardwoods are principally red maple, chestnut and oak. 



SOUTHBOKOUGH. 

Gray birch and maple is the most common type, occurring 
mostly in small cordwood sizes. The chestnut and oak type 
and the white pine type are the most important. There are 
several stands containing good-sized trees of both of these 
types. 

Marlborough, situated about 4 miles from Southborough, 
supplies this town by railroad and auto-truck service with ail 
of its lumber and wood. 



68 







Land Ti/pes. 












Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut 


- 


- 


70 


100 


170 


4 


- 


Oak 


- 


130 


70 


90 


290 


8 


- 


Chestnut and oak, . 


- 


360 


110 


400 


870 


23 


- 


White pine, 


50 


150 


50 


170 


420 


11 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, ' 


60 


90 


- 


- 


150 


4 


- 


Maple and gray birch. 
Softwoods other than white 


170 


1,530 
10 


130 


70 


1,900 
10 


50 




pine. 2 
















Total, .... 


280 


2,270 


430 


830 


3,810 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


7 


60 


11 


22 


4,080 


100 


39 


NON- 

Tillage and hay. 


FOREST Types. 




41 


Open pasture, 






730 


- 


7 


Brush pasture, 






150 


- 


2 


Business, residential, etc., 






100 


- 


1 


Water 






990 


- 


10 


Total area of town, . 








9,860 


- 


100 



I Hardwoods are red maple, gray birch, chestnut, red oak and poplar. 
* Mostly pitch pine. 



SOUTHBRIDGE. 

The largest individual type is the gray birch and red maple, 
either mixed or in pure stands. Commercially speaking, both 
pine and chestnut are of about equal importance, but there is 
comparatively little growth of merchantable size in either type. 
There is an unusual amount of hickory in the town, although 
most of it is of small size. Considerable amounts of native 
lumber are used in town for the manufacture of boxes and sash 
and doors. The following concerns are interested in the lumber 
business in Southbridge : — 



Clemence Associates, boxes, sash, blinds and building lumber. 
Ide Lumber Company, building lumber, sash and doors. 
Charles Hyde, boxes. 
Charles M. Morse, operator, principally chestnut ties and poles. 



69 



Land Types. 





Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut, .... 


380 


360 


250 


30 


1,020 


13 


- 


Oak 


670 


610 


140 


20 


1,440 


19 


- 


Hickory, .... 


240 


220 


40 


- 


500 


7 


- 


White pine, 


250 


750 


410 


210 


1,620 


21 


- 


Maple and birch, 


1,780 


930 


90 


20 


2,820 


37 


- 


Softwoods other than white 


20 


110 


90 


20 


240 


3 


_ 


pine. 
















Total, .... 


3,340 


2,980 


1,020 


300 


7,640 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


44 


39 


13 


4 


2,410 


100 


57 


NoN- 
Tillage and hay. 


FOREST Types. 






18 


Open pasture. 








800 


- 


6 


Brush pasture. 








940 


- 


7 


Alder and brush swamp, 








420 


- 


3 


Business, residential, etc., 








1,000 


- 


8 


Water 








100 


- 


1 


Total area of town, . 






13,310 


- 


100 



Spencer. 

Most of the southern half of Spencer is wooded, the chief 
species being white pine, chestnut, oak and birch, the amounts 
of these being in the order named, from most abundant to least. 
The timber is standing now in excellent condition, although not 
much of merchantable size is found. Portable mills have been 
working in at least five distinct areas within the last few years, 
and have made extensive clearings in various parts of the 
town. The best timber will be found in the south central, 
southwestern and the eastern edge of the town. Chestnut and 
pine are the only two species present of merchantable size, and 
these seldom range higher than Class 2. 

No permanent sawmills were in operation at the time the 
survey was made, but portables have been at work almost 
constantly during the past few years. Mr. W. A. Wilson is 



70 



probably the leading operator in the town, cutting from 500 to 
1,000 M board feet per year. Pine is cut almost entirely, there 
being very little chestnut of merchantable size. 







Land Types. 












Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut, .... 


- 


50 


160 


310 


520 


6 


- 


Oak 


70 


310 


660 


180 


1,220 


14 


- 


Chestnut and oak, i . 


490 


520 


300 


140 


1,450 


16 


- 


White pine. 

Hardwoods and white pine, 2 


30 


720 


90 
100 


~ 


90 
850 


10 


- 


Maple and gray birch. 


8/0 


2,030 


620 


40 


3,560 


40 


- 


Pitch pine. 


110 


150 


440 


540 


1,240 


14 


- 


Total, .... 


1,570 


3,780 


2,370 


1,210 


8,930 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


18 


42 


27 


13 


7,200 


100 


41 


NON- 

Tillage and hay. 


FOREST Types. 




33 


Open pasture, 






2,160 


- 


10 


Brush pasture, 






2,470 


- 


11 


Business, residential, etc.. 






350 


- 


2 


Water 






660 


- 


3 


Total area of town, . 








21,770 


- 


100 



1 Chestnut greatly predominating. 



* Hardwoods are largely red maple and birch. 



Sterling. 

The majority of the timber in Sterling is in excellent con- 
dition and growing rapidly, with the exception of the blight- 
infested chestnuts. Pine, pine and chestnut, pure chestnut, 
chestnut sprout growth, gray birch and birch and pine are the 
types most often found. The amounts of soft maple and other 
mixed hardwoods are very small when compared with these other 
types. Size classes range from reproduction to size 1, this latter 
being found only in small scattered lots. Pure pine and pine 
and chestnut are the trees generally found in such size classes. 

The wooded portion covers about 50 per cent, of the town's 
area. The percentage of open country is much greater in the 
eastern two-thirds of the town, but in the west and northwest 



71 



the percentage of timber will run about 70 per cent. It is 
characteristic that where timber occurs the stocking will 
generally run complete. 

The Sterling Lumber Company buys wood lots of varying 
size, installs portable mills, and after cutting the timber disposes 
of the land. There are no permanent mills working at the 
present time in Sterling. Pine and chestnut are cut in largest 
quantities, with small amounts of oak and other hardwoods. 
During the season of 1912-13 the amount cut was 2,000,000 
board feet. This Avas taken from Sterling and surrounding towns. 

There is a chair factory in the town, owned and operated by 
Edwin Stevenson. This factory uses practically all of the native 
woods, requiring about 200 M board feet per year. A small 
mill is run in connection with the factory. 

Messrs. T. and E. R. Buck also operate a chair factory in 
town. They use practically every kind of lumber in the 
manufacture of their product. 







Land 


Types. 












Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut 


70 


410 


840 


200 


1,520 


16 


- 


Oak 


240 


330 


40 


- 


610 


6 


- 


Chestnut and oak, . 


810 


1,110 


590 


110 


2,620 


27 


- 


White pine, 


730 


590 


270 


60 


1,650 


17 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, i 


290 


690 


90 


- 


1,070 


11 


- 


Maple and gray birch, 


1,120 


780 


290 


«- 


2,190 


22 


- 


Softwoods other than white 


30 


_ 


20 


60 


110 


1 


_ 


pine. 2 
















Total 


3,290 


3,910 


2,140 


430 


9,770 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


34 


40 


22 


4 


4,932 


100 


49 


NON- 

Tillage and hay. 


FOREST T 


YPES. 






25 


Open pasture. 










4,230 


- 


21 


Brush pasture. 










460 


- 


2 


Business, residential, etc.. 










60 


] 




Water 










560 


1 - 


3 


Total area of town, . 


20,012 


- 


100 



I Hardwoods are largely gray birch and red maple. 



2 Pitch pine and hemlock. 



72 



Sturbridge, 

The largest individual type is gray birch and maple closely 
followed by oak. Chestnut and pine are not such prominent 
types as they are in neighboring towns, due to the fact that the 
town has been heavily logged for these species in recent years. 
For the same reason there is a dearth of larger size classes. 

There are no wood-using industries in the town, and most of 
the logging is done by operators from Southbridge and Oxford. 
George Wright is the owner of a sawmill. 

Land Types. 





Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. « 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut 


160 


140 


460 


60 


820 


5 


- 


Oak 


1,990 


1,870 


380 


- 


4,240 


27 


- 


Chestnut and oak, 


420 


390 


100 


- 


910 


6 


- 


White pine, 


270 


780 


650 


220 


1,920 


12 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine. 


1,090 


1,090 


220 


- 


2,400 


15 


- 


Maple and birch, 


3,460 


1,350 


260 


- 


5,070 


32 


- 


Hemlock, .... 


70 


280 


160 


20 


530 


3 


- 


Total, .... 


7,460 


5,900 


2,230 


300 


15,890 


- 


- 


Peicentage, . 


47 


37 


14 


2 


4,250 


100 


64 


NON- 

Tillage and hay, . 


FOREST Types. 






17 


Open pasture. 








1,830 


- 




Brush pasture, 








1,700 


- 




Alder and brush swamp. 


. ». . . 






120 






Business, residential, etc.. 








160 




Water 








990 


- 




Total area of town, . 






24,940 


- 


100 



Sutton. 
The most common wood types are chestnut, gray birch and 
maple. White pine is rare, except along the southern border of 
the town and around the drier shores of the ponds. In such 
locations good stands occur. Most of the timber is in the small 
merchantable class. The ridges are stocked to almost 100 



73 



per cent, with chestnut and chestnut and oak, and the lake 
regions in particular bear heavy stands. Many of the ridge 
tops have been cut over within the last three or four years, and 
as a result bear dense growths of chestnut and oak sprouts. In 
the southeastern part of the town some of the timber owned by 
the Whitin Machine Works runs to a large diameter size, but 
timber larger than size 2 is very rare. The stands are usually 
dense, and the timber of excellent form and shape. In that 
region known as Purgatory and to the south, including the 
Whitin Game Preserve, are stands of chestnut and pine of 
Class 2, and some even larger. The stands will run to practi- 
cally 100 per cent, stocking. In the south, central and eastern 
parts of the town are large areas as yet not cut by roads. 
Such areas are almost entirely covered with a timber growth, 
generally chestnut of sizes 3 to 2. Oak seldom occurs above a 
size 2, generally sizes 3 and 4. The same is true of the mixed 
hardwoods. 

Mr. John Dudley has recently operated on a tract containing 
about 800 M board feet. Chestnut with some white pine was 
the principal species cut. Mr. Dudley's mill is operated 
electrically by power obtained from Saunders ville. 







Land Types. 












Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 

Chestnut 

Oak, 

Chestnut and oak, 
White pine, 

Hardwoods and white pine, i 
Maple and gray birch, 
Softwoods other than white 
pine. 2 


Acres. 

340 

40 

460 

140 

180 

1,330 

70 


Acres. 

2,250 
210 
320 
50 
310 
2,550 
70 


Acres. 

2,470 
190 
330 
200 
380 

170 


Acres. 
290 

10 
220 


Acres. 

5,350 
440 

1,120 
610 
870 

3,880 
310 


43 
3 
9 
5 
7 

31 
2 


- 


Total, .... 
Percentage, . 


2.560 
20 


5,760 
46 


3,740 
30 


520 
4 


12.580 

5,690 

1,090 

1,850 

740 


100 


58 


NON- 

Tillage and hay, 
Open pasture. 
Brush pasture, 
Water 


FOREST Types. 




26 
5 
8 
3 


Total area of town, . 








21.950 


- 


100 



* Hardwoods are gray birch, red maple and poplar. 
' Mostly white cedar. 



74 



Templeton. 

Templeton seems to be a natural white pine region. Al- 
though the entire town has been pretty much cut over, there 
are still some good white pine stands remaining, scattered 
through different parts of the town. Two of the best of these 
are in the extreme northern and in the extreme southern 
portions of the town. There is practically no virgin growth 
standing. The hardwoods are mostly coppice, and the greater 
portion of them are unmerchantable. The town contains con- 
siderable spruce and American larch. The best spruce is in a 
mixture with white pine on the land of the State School for 
Feeble-minded in the northern part of the town. Some of this 
spruce calipered from 18 to 22 inches diameter, breast high. 
White birch occupies a good proportion of the forested area. 
The principal trees found here are white pine, chestnut, oak, 
white birch, spruce, hemlock, maple, American larch, beech, 
white ash, and, as usual, an abundance of gray birch. 

Templeton has two sawmills; one situated at Templeton 
Center and owned by Bourn & Hadley cuts about 1,000,000 
board feet of native stock per year. At Otter River there is a 
mill owned by Louis LaPorte, with a capacity of 8 M board 
feet per day when it runs. This mill saws native stock only. 

Among the wood-using industries are the following : — 



Name. 



Product. 



Approximate 

Output 
(Board Feet.) 



New England Box Company, 
Smith, Day & Co., 
Bishop & Dickinson, 
Waite Chair Company, 
E. L. Thompson & Co., 
Temple, Stewart Company, . 
Children's Vehicle Corporation, 
Bourn & Hadley, . 



Boxes, . 
Chairs, . 
Chairs, . 
Chairs, . 
Chairs, . 
Chairs, . 
Go-carts, 
Office furniture, 



7,000,000 
800,000 
125,000 
600,000 
600,000 
175,000 
700,000 



These concerns use pine, maple, oak, spruce, beech, tulip, 
poplar and white and yellow birch, A considerable amount of 
this lumber is obtained from outside the State. 



75 







Land Types. 












Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut 


40 


10 


10 


- 


60 


1 


- 


Oak 


150 


230 


260 


110 


750 


6 




Chestnut and oak, 


140 


390 


170 


50 


750 


6 


- 


White pine, 


370 


950 


1,350 


660 


3,330 


25 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, i 


2,140 


1,000 


150 


- 


3,290 


25 


- 


Maple and birch. 


2,470 


1,560 


400 


80 


4.510 


34 


- 


Softwoods other than white 


100 


230 


80 


20 


430 


3 


- 


pine. 2 
















Total 


5,410 


4,370 


2,420 


920 


13,120 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


41 


33 


19 


7 


4,520 


100 


63 


NON- 

Tillage and hay, . 


forest T 


'ypes. 




22 


Open pasture. 








1.830 


- 


9 


Brush pasture. 








890 


- 


4 


Business, residential, etc., 








70 


- 


- 


Water, .... 








370 


- 


2 


Total area of town, . 






20,800 


- 


100 



1 Hardwoods are largely maple and gray birch, with small amounts of white birch and oak. 

2 Large sizes, mostly hemlock and spruce; smaller, tamarack and pitch pine. 



Upton. 

The timber land in Upton has been largely cut over within 
twenty years, and most of the land is growing Class 3 sprouts. 
Gray birch is more common in Upton than in most of the 
surrounding towns, and the percentage of white oak is greater; 
probably over half the oak in Upton is white oak. Chestnut 
and white pine and hardwoods are the most important types. 
There are several lots of merchantable pine stil! left in Upton, 
but mostly in patches of a few acres each. 

At the time this survey was made the only mill working in 
Upton was the portable mill of D. W. Gaskill of Blackstone. 
He had about 300 M board feet to cut, mostly chestnut, oak 
and pitch pine. Mr. B. C. Wood of Upton does considerable 
cutting in Upton and near-by towns. The Upton Manufactur- 
ing Company is a box company primarily, but they have their 



76 



own sawmill operated by water power. They use only local 
pine. The W. G. Fiske Lumber Company have a stationary 
mill, but do not do much cutting themselves. This past year 
they cut and sawed about 100 M board feet of lumber of which 
75 per cent, was pine, the remainder being chestnut and oak. 







Land Types. 












Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut, .... 


510 


380 


350 


40 


1,280 


14 


- 


Oak.i .... 


340 


410 


130 


30 


910 


10 


- 


Chestnut and oak, . 


440 


230 


30 


30 


730 


8 


- 


White pine, 


120 


390 


10 


180 


700 


8 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, - 


980 


760 


70 


30 


1,840 


20 


- 


Maple and gray birch, 


2,310 


1,050 


60 


- 


3,420 


38 


- 


Softwoods other than white 


100 


50 


- 


- 


150 


2 


- 


pine. ' 
















Total 


4,800 


3,270 


650 


310 


9,030 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


53 


36 


7 


4 


3,030 


100 


65 


NON- 

Tillage and hay. 


FOREST Types. 




22 


Open pasture. 






1,050 


- 


7 


Brush pasture. 






600 


- 


4 


Brush swamp. 






90 






Business, residential, etc., 






20 


- 


2 


Water, .... 






140 






Total area of town, . 


13.960 


- 


100 



1 About one-third of the oak type is made up of white oak. 

2 Hardwoods are maple and gray birch. 

3 Pitch pine. 

UXBRIDGE. 

The woodlands constitute about 70 per cent, of the area of 
the entire town, the principal species being pitch and white 
pine, oak and chestnut. The general condition of the timber is 
fair. There are numerous open spaces — as a result of lumber- 
ing operations, forest fires and the abandoning of farms — 
which could profitably be reforested. The best timber lies in 
the south central portion, and ranges from Class 3 to Class 1, 
with a stocking in some parts of 100 per cent. 



77 



The sawmill of Newell & King cuts during the late fall and 
winter months from 300 to 700 M board feet of pine, chestnut 
and oak, probably 75 per cent, of the whole cut being pine. 

The Uxbridge branch of Wm. M. Harris, Providence, R. I., 
deals in southern and western pine, shingles and cord wood. 
This concern buys only cordwood locally, and this from wood- 
lot owners who deliver the same. 

W. B. Tucker cuts pine and chestnut when they can be 
bought. 

Land Types. 





Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut, .... 


30 


420 


170 


550 


1,170 


9 


- 


Oak 


280 


500 


160 


40 


980 


8 


- 


Chestnut and oak, . 


1,270 


2,180 


1,020 


280 


4,750 


37 


- 


White pine. 


280 


280 


430 


320 


1,310 


10 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, i 


190 


670 


SO 


210 


1,120 


9 


- 


Maple and gray birch. 


1,020 


1,270 


450 


400 


3,140 


25 


- 


Pitch pine. 


80 


180 


20 


- 


280 


2 


- 


Total 


3,150 


5,500 


2,300 


1,800 


12.750 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


25 


43 


18 


14 


4,650 


100 


66 


NON- 

Tillage and hay. 


FOREST T 


YPES. 






24 


Open pasture, 










830 


- 


4 


Brush pasture. 










280 




2 


Brush swamp. 










110 






Business, residential, etc., 










330 


- 


2 


Water 










380 


- 


2 


Total area of town, . 


19,330 


- 


100 



1 Larger sizes are mostly red maple; smaller, gray birch. 



Warren. 
The woodland is chiefly a second growth of chestnut and 
oak. In the southern section there is a large area of young 
mixed hardwoods. A few stands of good merchantable chestnut 
and oak are left, but they are small and scattered. Pine forms 
a still smaller percentage of the forest growth in this town than it 
does in West Brookfield. The best stand of white pine is found 



78 



around Comins Pond. Elm swamps are to be found, but these 
are so rare that they have been classed as mixed hardwoods. 

There are no operators in Warren. Mr. H. N. Shepard deals 
more or less in lumber, but he contracts for portable mills 
from outside to do his work. The lumber sawed is chiefly 
chestnut, oak and pine, with some ash, birch and maple. 



Land Types. 





Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut, .... 


60 


340 


440 


440 


1,280 


18 


- 


Oak 


50 


140 


80 


10 


280 


4 


- 


Chestnut and oak, . 


430 


560 


120 


170 


1,280 


18 


- 


White pine, 


120 


- 


10 


70 


200 


3 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, ' 


- 


190 


50 


- 


240 


4 


- 


Maple and gray birch. 


1,720 


1,250 


610 


10 


3,590 


52 


- 


Softwoods other than white 
t pine. 2 


50 


50 


- 


- 


100 


1 


- 


Total 


2,430 


2,530 


1,310 


700 


6,970 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


35 


36 


19 


10 


4,030 


100 


38 


NON- 

Tillage and hay. 


forest Types. 






22 


Openjpasture, 








6.660 


- 


37 


Brush pasture. 








420 


- 


2 


Brush swamp. 








20 


1 


1 


Water 








130 


1 


Total area of town, . 






18,230 


- 


100 



1 Hardwoods are largely gray birch and maple. 



* Pitch pine. 



Webster. 
The wooded section of this town is in a condition of healthy, 
rapid growth. Burned areas in the northeastern and south- 
eastern corners are restocking with chestnut and oak sprouts, 
maple and birch. The best timber lies along the shores and to 
the east of Lake Chaubunagungamaug. There are many small 
areas of white pine, and reproduction is generally good. The 
proportion of woodland to the total area of the town is about 
60 per cent. 



79 



Louis E. Pattison saws mostly pine, chestnut and oak from 
the towns of Webster, Douglas, Sturbridge, Charlton, Oxford 
and Thompson (Conn.). He saws about 350 M board feet per 
year of pine, chestnut and mixed hardwoods. 







Land Types. 












Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Oak 


320 


200 


110 


- 


630 


12 


- 


Chestnut and oak, 


490 


470 


250 


150 


1,360 


25 


- 


White pine, 


140 


70 


100 


110 


420 


8 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, ^ 


80 


380 


320 


50 


830 


15 


- 


Maple and gray birch, 


1,030 


870 


300 


- 


2,200 


40 


- 


Total 


2,060 


1,990 


1,080 


310 


5,440 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


38 


37 


20 


5 


1,520 


100 


59 


NON- 

Tillage and hay. 


FOREST Types. 




16 


Open pasture. 






270 


- 


3 


Brush pasture. 






100 


- 


1 


Business, residential, etc., 






800 


- 


9 


Water 






1,150 


- 


12 


Total area of town, . 








9,280 


- 


100 



1 Hardwoods are largely gray birch and red maple. 



West Boylston. 

While there is very little timber of merchantable size, the 
majority of that standing is in good, healthy condition. About 
55 per cent, of the town is either pasture or tilled land. The 
remainder, with the exception of the water area, is covered 
with a wooded growth, chestnut being the predominating 
species. Chestnut also occurs mixed with oak and white pine. 

The best timber is on the land owned by the Metropolitan 
Water Works; and while much of this is small and worth little 
now, it is only a matter of time until it will form a valuable 
forest. Size classes range from reproduction to 2, but the 
majority will fall under 10 inches diameter, breast high. 

White pine growing naturally occurs well scattered. Around 
the reservoir extensive planting of this species has been carried 



80 



on, the planted trees now ranging from one to ten years in age. 
Red and Scotch pine have also been planted, but to a much less 
degree. These trees are making exceptionally rapid growth, 
some of the older ones averaging 2 feet in height annually. The 
best specimens are found in the northeastern corner of the town. 
There are no sawmills or woodworking industries now located 
in this town, and there have been none since the reservoir was 
built. No portable mills were working when this survey was 
made. 

Land Types. 





Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut, .... 


10 


150 


370 


70 


600 


19 


- 


Oak 


100 


130 


120 


- 


350 


11 


- 


Chestnut and oak, . 


220 


360 


390 


- 


970 


30 


- 


White pine. 


180 


170 


300 


40 


690 


21 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, ' 


10 


70 


30 


- 


110 


3 


- 


Mixed hardwoods,' . 


210 


170 


60 


- 


440 


14 




Softwoods other than white 


30 


40 


_ 


- 


70 


2 




pine. ' 
















Total 


760 


1,090 


1,270 


110 


3,230 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


24 


34 


39 


3 


4,110 


100 


37 


NON- 

Tillage and hay, . 


forest Types. 






47 


Open pasture. 








640 


- 


7 


Brush pasture, 








140 




2 


Brush swamp. 








40 






Water 








660 


- 


7 


Total area of town, . 






8,820 


- 


100 



' Hardwoods are birch, chestnut, oak and red maple. 
2 Swamp maple, red maple and gray birch. 



' Pitch pine. 



West Brookfield. 
Nearly all the woodland is second growth hardwoods, chiefly 
chestnut and oak. Here and there are small patches of good 
merchantable material. Broadly speaking, probably less than 
one-third of the town is covered with species which will develop 
into large timber. The chief species are chestnut and oak, 



81 



while the old pastures are fast growing up to gray birch. Soft 
maple occurs in the swamps, but the size of this is small, and 
it is of little practical importance. White pine occurs scatter- 
ingly in small percentages in nearly all types, but the only place 
where pure stands are likely to develop naturally is in the 
extreme eastern part. Located in this section is a fine but 
small tract of merchantable hemlock. 

There are two stationary sawmills. One is owned by D. 
Tyler and is located east of Ragged Hill on Mill Brook. This 
mill is run by water power. The other is a gasoline sawmill 
owned by Henry Foster on Long Hill in the extreme southern 
part of the town. Both of these operators do only small odd 
jobs as the needs of the neighbors require. The logs for these 
purposes are supplied by the farmers. 

The chief out-of-town operators are George Wasson and A. N. 
Cony of Ware, and Messrs. Cummings and Fullam of North 
Brdokfield. The lumber sawed is mostly chestnut, oak and 
pine, with some ash, birch and maple. 







Land 


Types. 












Approximate Size Classes 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut, .... 


220 


490 


280 


320 


1,310 


20 


- 


Oak 


30 


- 


90 


40 


160 


2 


- 


Chestnut and oak, . 


540 


230 


330 


30 


1,130 


18 


- 


White pine, 


50 


100 


40 


20 


210 


3 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, i 


180 


180 


70 


- 


430 


7 


- 


Maple and gray birch. 


1,110 


1,550 


550 


20 


3,230 


49 


- 


Softwoods other than white 


20 


20 


- 


20 


60 


1 


_ 


pine. 2 
















Total 


2,150 


2,570 


1,360 


450 


6,530 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


33 


39 


21 


7 


2,910 


100 


48 


NON- 

Tillage and hay, . 


FOREST Types. 






22 


Open pasture, 








3,070 


- 


23 


Brush pasture, 








600 


- 


4 


Water 








390 


- 


3 


Total area of town, . 






13,500 


- 


100 



I Hardwoods are gray birch and red maple. 



2 Mostly pitch pine with some hemlock. 



82 



Westborough. 

The proportion of woodland is about 45 per cent., all in good 
condition, but mostly of small growth. There is a noticeable 
dearth of timber of all kinds on the land best adapted to grow- 
ing it. A few wooded hills remain, covered with chestnut, oak 
and pine, but by far the greater part of the timber consists of 
soft maple, birch and cedar, running from Class 2 down to 
reproduction, and this lies in or near the swamps. At the 
present time little timber is being cut in Westborough, there 
being no mills and but one woodworking factory. Cordwood is 
handled only by dealers in coal and wood. 

Frank Bartlett, owner of a box factory, cuts no timber. He 
uses spruce, pine shingles and some chestnut and oak. He uses 
about 3,000,000 board feet per year, most of which is obtained 
from outside of Massachusetts. 







Land Types. 












Apphoximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Peb Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


FoBEST Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut 


40 


80 


50 


340 


510 


8 


- 


Oak 


70 


80 


130 


190 


470 


8 


- 


Chestnut and oak, 


360 


240 


150 


100 


850 


14 


- 


White pine, 


20 


160 


80 


120 


380 


6 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, i 


100 


150 


- 


- 


.250' 


4 


- 


Maple and gray birch. 


950 


1,830 


240 


170 


3,190 


51 


- 


Softwoods other than white 


80 


320 


- 


180 


680 


9 


- 


pine. 2 
















Total, .... 


1,620 


2,860 


650 


1,100 


6,230 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


26 


46 


10 


18 


4,520 


100 


43 


NON- 

Tillage and hay. 


FOBEST 1 


ypes. 




31 


Open pasture. 








1,350 


- 


9 


Brush pasture, 








1,540 


- 


11 


Brush swamp, 








140 


- 


1 


Business, residential, etc , 








500 


- 


3 


Water 


• 






250 


- 


2 


Total area of town, . 


14,530 


- 


100 



1 Hardwoods are largely gray birch, red maple and poplar. 

2 Pitch pine in the large sizes; white cedar in the smaller sizes. 



83 



Westminster. 

The woodlands of the town are largely in a state of neglect. 
The major growth is chestnut and hardwoods, with scattered 
stands of pine. There is considerable growth of pine in the 
north and east parts of the town. There is much swamp 
covered with maple, birch, spruce and alder. Many areas are 
found where cutting has been done, removing everything 
merchantable, leaving the land butchered, with slash and debris 
scattered about, forming veritable tinder piles. These areas 
occur throughout the township. This land is now growing up 
to gray birch, sprout chestnut or brush, and is v/ell-nigh in a 
useless condition. Thinnings are needed everywhere and re- 
forestation in many places. This last operation has been done 
to considerable extent. Careful forest management is needed 
in this town as in other towns examined. Fires have run 
through the cut-over lands and left them in a very poor con- 
dition. Practically all merchantable stuff has been cut. 

In Westminster village is a box mill, belonging to Mr. Good- 
ridge, which uses per year 1,500,000 feet of pine, spruce and 
hemlock. Most of the stock is obtained from outside the State 
because Westminster's supply and the stock near by is de- 
pleted. Last year 200 M board feet were cut here, the re- 
mainder coming from New Hampshire. E. H. Merriam runs a 
sawmill near Westminster depot in connection with his grain 
business. Sawing is done irregularly, and is largely custom 
work. This mill saws perhaps 500 M board feet to 1,000 M 
board feet per year. Pierce's chair mill at Whitmanville in the 
northerly part of the township uses 1,500,000 feet of chestnut 
per year. This comes from Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and 
New York. Two million feet of turned stock per year are used. 



84 







Land 


Types. 














Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


' 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Ttpes. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut, .... 


970 


470 


340 


300 


2,080 


14 


- 


Oak 


120 


70 


30 


50 


270 


2 


- 


Chestnut and oak, . 


380 


200 


430 


630 


1,640 


11 


- 


White pine. 


660 


330 


770 


780 


2,540 


17 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, i 


250 


200 


280 


240 


970 


6 


- 


Maple and gray birch. 


3,870 


1,370 


830 


670 


6,740 


45 


- 


Softwoods other than white 


300 


280 


100 


70 


750 


5 


_ 


pine. 2 










1 






Total 


6,550 


2,920 


2,780 


2,740 


14,990 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


44 


19 


19 


18 


4,380 


100 


63 


NON- 

Tillage and hay, . 


FOREST T 


TPES. 






18 


Open pasture. 










1,730 


- 


7 


Brush pasture. 










1,670 


- 


7 


Brush swamp. 










360 


- 


2 


Business, residential, etc., 










70 




3 


Water 










670 




Total area of town, . 


23,870 


- 


100 



1 Hardwoods are largely gray birch and maple. 
* Pitch pine and hemlock. 



WiNCHENDON. 

Regarding the town as a whole, white pine is the predomi- 
nating species. As a rule, it is thrifty and growing rapidly, but 
considerable damage caused by the weevil was noticed in some 
of the younger stands. It might be mentioned that, in general, 
although the pine stands are healthy and growing, they are 
understocked. 

■ The gray birch and maple type, although at the present time 
covering a much larger area than the white pine, seems likely 
to be eventually suppressed by the latter. 

Spruce, hemlock and larch were found scattered throughout 
the town in moist places. Considerable hemlock is found in the 
western part of the town, generally in mixture with pine and of 



85 

about the same age. In the swamps and bogs spruce, hemlock 
and larch are found, either pure, together, or in different 
combinations with lowland hardwoods, such as red maple and 
the various birches. 

The sizes of the different types vary from reproduction to 1 . 

Mr. C. A. Brooks runs a sawmill in connection with his 
handle factory. He cuts per year 45 M board feet of spruce, 
25 M board feet of hemlock, and 180 M board feet of pine. 
Nearly all of this lumber is bought in New Hampshire. 

M. E. Converse & Sons own a toy factory, and use the 
following amount of board feet of lumber per annum: white 
pine, 1,000 M; chestnut, 250 to 300 M; basswood, 75 M; 
red gum, 50 M; miscellaneous, 100 M. 

C. A. Brooks' handle factory uses about 400 cords of beech, 
birch and maple per year. Practically all of this comes from 
New Hampshire. 

Wm. Brown & Son manufacture pails and ice-cream freezers. 
They use about 3,500 cords of pine annually. 

Mason & Parker, toy manufacturers, use per annum: bass- 
wood, 200 M board feet; chestnut, 250 M board feet; poplar, 
150 M board feet; pine, 100 M board feet; beech, birch and 
maple, 25 M board feet. 

Carter & Campbell, furniture manufacturers, use per annum: 
spruce, 40 to 45 M board feet; maple, 30 M board feet; ash 
and miscellaneous hardwoods, 15 M board feet. 

M. A. Parks, manufacturer of spools and bobbins, uses bass- 
wood, 500 M board feet; birch, 500 M board feet; pine, 1-inch 
boards, and pine, 2| inch boards, 100 M board feet; Pennsyl- 
vania beech, 50 M board feet. 

E. Murdock & Co., manufacturers of pails and tubs, use 
7,500 cords of pine logs; 1,500 cords of spruce, hemlock and 
hardwoods; 750 M board feet of 2| inch pine plank; and 500 
M board feet of 1-inch hardwood boards. 



86 







Land Types. 












Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Ttpes. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut and oak, . 


270 


320 


470 


160 


1,220 


6 


- 


White pine, 


1,220 


1,070 


1,970 


680 


4,940 


25 


- 


Mixed hardwoods, i . 


10 


140 


100 


30 


280 


1 


- 


Maple and gray birch, | 


M.1,460 
B.5,570 


1,510 
1,640 


700 
170 


70 


3,740 
7,380 


19 

38 


- 


Softwoods other than white 


320 


680 


910 


330 


2,240 


11 


_ 


pine. 2 
















Total 


8,850 


5,360 


4,320 


1,270 


19,800 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


45 


27 


22 


6 


4,350 


100 


68 


NON- 

Tillage and hay, . 


FOREST 1 


TPES. 




15 


Open pasture. 








1,170 


- 


4 


Brush pasture. 








1,760 


- 


6 


Business, residential, etc.. 








1,240 


- 


4 


Water 








800 


- 


3 


Total area of town, . 


29,120 


- 


100 



1 Hardwoods are beech, hard maple and white birch. 

2 Spruce, hemlock, pitch pine and a little red pine. 



Worcester. 

Worcester is more interesting as a consumer of lumber than 
as a producer. Its percentage of woodland, 21, is far less than 
any other township in the county. What there is is valued far 
in excess of its timber value for residential and aesthetic pur- 
poses. For this reason the percentage of woodland in larger 
sizes is unusually large. Chestnut predominates, either pure or 
mixed with oak, while white pine is deficient and under the 
average percentage. The woodland is generally in good con- 
dition, except for the chestnut blight, which has done con- 
siderable damage in many sections. The woodland around 
Lake Quinsigamond shows the result of many ground fires. 

A large manufacturing city like Worcester is naturally a large 
consumer of lumber, both for construction purposes and in its 
industries. Most of this lumber, however, comes from outside 
the State, as is the general run with our lumber supply. The 



87 



principal consumers of native lumber are the box manu- 
facturers, of which there are two large concerns in Worcester. 
This city, with its numerous car lines and electric companies, 
offers a good market for ties and poles. Some native white oak 
is used by the car builders, and it is probable that some native 
white pine is used by the makers of sash, blinds and interior 
finish. Worcester offers a good cordwood market, but the 
supply in the vicinity is ample, so that prices are rather low. 
The following industries make up the principal timber con- 
sumers of Worcester : — 



Baker Box Company. 
Williams & Bridges. 



Box Manufacturers. 

I H.I. Gould. 

Caskets. 
F. E. Sessions Company. 



Sash and Interior Finish. 



Griffin Flooring Company. 
Adams & Powers. 
Hatch & Barnes. 
E. F. Hunt Company. 



W. E. Putnam. 
M. K. Smith Company. 
Frank 0. Stevens. 
Henry Braman. 



A. C. Lead Company. 



Eaves and Troughs. 

I Edw. W. Witter & Co. 



General Lumber Dealers. 



F. 0. Arnold. 

Baker Lumber Company. 

J. F. Bicknell Lumber Company. 

J. W. Bishop Company. 

Henry H. Dyke. 

John H. Grant. 

Edward A. Hackwell. 



George L. Jacques. 
Frank 0. Arnold. 
M. Bagdasarian. 

George L. Jacques. 
Frank 0. Arnold. 
M. Bagdasarian. 



Frederick S. Hunt. 

New England Lumber Company. 

William H. Sawyer Company. 

Stone & Berg. 

Stone & Foster. 

P. W. Wood Lumber Company. 



Woodland Operators. 

Chas. T. Luce. 
H. I. Gould. 

Tie and Pole Operators. 

Chas. T. Luce. 
H. L Gould. 



88 



Lasts. 
S. Porter & Co. 

Agricultural Implements. 



Richardson Manufacturing Com- 
pany. 



Worcester 
pany. 



Lawn Mower Com- 



Car Builders. 
Osgood-Bradley Company. 



Simplex Player Company. 



F. A. Atherton Company, 



Ararat Wood Company. 
David Bergerau. 
Walker Ice Company. 

E. Perreault. 

F. 0. Arnold. 



Piano Players. 

I Weber Piano Company. 

Refrigerators. 

I M. M. Whitman. 

Cordwood Dealers. 

Claflin Coal Company. 
F. P. Defaleo. 

New England Fuel Company. 
Worcester Fuel Company. 
F. E. Powers Company. 







Land Types. 












Approximate Size Classes. 


Total. 


Per Cent. 




4 


3 


2 


1 


Forest. 


Town. 


Forest Types. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 


Acres. 






Chestnut, . , . . 


90 


100 


230 


310 


730 


14 


- 


Oak 


20 


360 


30 


60 


470 


9 


- 


Chestnut and oak, . 


410 


420 


960 


210 


2,000 


39 


- 


White pine. 


20 


- 


70 


150 


240 


5 


- 


Hardwoods and white pine, 


- 


140 


50 


310 


500 


10 


- 


Maple and gray birch. 


310 


610 


180 


20 


1,120 


22 


- 


Pitch pine, 


10 


_ 


- 


30 


40 


1 


- 


Total 


860 


1,630 


1,520 


1,090 


5,100 


- 


- 


Percentage, . 


17 


32 


30 


21 


8,040 


100 


21 


NON- 

Tillage and hay. 


FOREST Types. 




32 


Open pasture. 






2,800 


- 


11 


Brush pasture. 






680 


- 


3 


Business, residential, etc., 






7,330 


- 


30 


Water, .... 






690 


- 


3 


Total area of town, . 








24,640 


- 


100 




Rod maple in swamp. Diameters, 3 to 7 inches; heights, 35 to 45 feet. (Maple 
and birch type. Class 3.) 







(»!ik, maple and pine in mixture. Diameters, 3 to 7 inches; lioislils, 
20 to 30 feet. (Pine and hardwoods type, Class 3.) 




Large sprout oak. Diametera, 7 to 12 inches; heights, 50 to 60 feet (Oak type, Class 2.) 




Wliite pine fifty years old. Diameters, 8 to 13 inches; heights, 55 to 05 
feet. (White pine type. Class 2.) 




Pine, maple and oak. Diameters, 6 to 10 inches; heights, 50 to 60 feet. iPine and hard- 
woods type, Class 2.) 




T,;irg;e sprout 



stmit. Diameters, 8 to 14 inches; heights, fiO t(i 
70 feet. (Chestnut type, Class 1.) 



